Disconnect Me review – man attempts digital cold turkey in personal-challenge journey

With a subject as complex as monitoring the effects of smartphone use, Alex Lykos’s film could have paid more attention to sourcing and methodology

It’s digital detox time for film-maker Alex Lykos, as he attempts to go cold turkey on his phone and other devices for 30 days for this documentary belonging to the lower-budget end of the sub-genre of personal challenge films; previous entries include the likes of Super Size Me (man eats lots of fast food) and America Unchained (man tries to travel across America without giving any money to multinationals).

Lykos begins his offline odyssey with a fun potted history of the mobile phone, starting with a 1973 model which is heavier than a four-pint carton of milk. (This comparison is illustrated by Lykos walking along holding said carton of milk to his ear.) The film is strongest in these lighter sections which lean into Lykos’ naturally upbeat high-school science teacher vibe. These handy pop-quiz explainers are peppered with stats around smartphone use – there are eight billion smartphones in existence today, we apparently touch them 2,600 times a day, and Lykos himself spends an average of six hours a day using his.