(Image credit: Tom's Guide)
I don’t think anyone is purposely trying to spend more time on their smartphone these days. Instead, we’re all trying to use them less, even as social media algorithms, vertical videos, and online shopping conspire to draw us back in. I’m just as guilty as anyone — but I may have finally found a way to keep my doomscrolling at bay. All it took was a teensy, tiny e-reader.Now I’ll admit, I was caught up in an endless scroll through YouTube Shorts when I first discovered Xteink’s X4. This small, surprisingly simple, single-use device immediately captured my attention. A few days later, Amazon Prime Day was in full swing. While looking for deals to cover, it popped up right in my feed, on sale no less.I’m no stranger to trying out new devices. Just like with the Playdate handheld, I decided to buy an Xteink X4 just to experience this now-viral gadget for myself. I’m glad I did. It wasn’t just a fun piece of tech to play around with; it actually got me reading again, albeit in small spurts when I normally would have been scrolling.Here’s what it’s been like using a tiny, open-source, barebones e-reader for a week — and why it just might be the missing puzzle piece to break your endless scroll.Trading smarts for buttons
