What Would Marcus Do Week 3: Epictetus and the Smartphone

 

“Wealth consists in not having great possessions, but in having few wants.” — Epictetus

Epictetus, born into slavery and later freed, understood better than perhaps any philosopher the distinction between what we can and cannot control. His teachings become remarkably relevant when applied to our relationship with technology, which often enslaves us more subtly but no less effectively than his original circumstances.

The Dichotomy of Control in Digital Spaces

The fundamental Stoic teaching divides all experiences into three categories: what is entirely up to us (our judgements, desires, and actions), what is not up to us at all (other people’s behaviour, external events), and what is partially up to us (our health, reputation, success). Social media platforms are specifically designed to trigger impulse control problems and make users slaves to their devices through constant notifications and variable reward schedules.

When we reach for our phones compulsively, we’re attempting to control things that fundamentally aren’t up to us—other people’s responses, the novelty of information, the elimination of uncertainty. Epictetus would recognise this as a classic category error leading to suffering.

Preferred Indifferents

Epictetus taught that health, reputation, and external success are “preferred indifferents”—nice to have, but not essential for a good life. Research shows that social media use often begins as mood modification but creates cycles of dependency when users repeatedly seek relief from undesirable emotional states through technology. This perfectly illustrates how preferred indifferents (social validation, novel information, entertainment) can become false necessities.

The former slave’s perspective is crucial here. Having experienced literal powerlessness, Epictetus knew that freedom comes not from controlling circumstances, but from controlling our responses to circumstances. Studies demonstrate significant correlations between social media addiction and increased levels of depression, anxiety, and stress in working professionals, suggesting that our attempts to use technology for emotional regulation often backfire.

Training Choice

Epictetus emphasised prohairesis—the faculty of choice that remains free even under external constraint. Every notification presents a moment of choice: will we respond automatically or consciously? Research confirms that maintaining goals can be attention-consuming and may enhance the relevance of distracting information, making both factors potentially reduce current task performance.

This validates Epictetus’s insight that freedom requires constant practice. We must train our capacity to choose our responses rather than simply reacting to stimuli.

Practice Voluntary Hardship

Epictetus advocated occasional voluntary hardship to maintain perspective on what we truly need. Applied to technology, this means periodically choosing inconvenience to strengthen our capacity for independent thought and action.

What would Marcus Do?

Try this for a week.

The fundamental Stoic teaching divides all experiences into three categories: what is entirely up to us (our judgements, desires, and actions), what is not up to us at all (other people’s behaviour, external events), and what is partially up to us (our health, reputation, success). Social media platforms are specifically designed to trigger impulse control problems and make users slaves to their devices through constant notifications and variable reward schedules.

The fundamental Stoic teaching divides all experiences into three categories: what is entirely up to us (our judgements, desires, and actions), what is not up to us at all (other people’s behaviour, external events), and what is partially up to us (our health, reputation, success). Social media platforms are specifically designed to trigger impulse control problems and make users slaves to their devices through constant notifications and variable reward schedules.

The Daily Dichotomy Review: Each morning, identify three things you hope will happen that day. Categorise each as up to you, not up to you, or partially up to you. Focus energy only on elements within your control.

Notification Slavery Assessment: For one week, notice every time you check your phone without a specific intention. Each instance represents a moment where the device controlled you rather than you controlling it. Epictetus would call this “voluntary slavery.”

The Evening Freedom Examination: Ask yourself: “In what moments today did I act from my own judgement, and when did I simply react to external stimuli?” This builds the self-awareness necessary for genuine choice.

Weekly Digital Fasting: Choose one day weekly to minimise technology use. This isn’t digital detox for productivity—it’s training in what Epictetus called “the discipline of desire,” learning to want what we have rather than constantly seeking more stimulation.

The Smartphone Dichotomy: Before picking up your phone, pause and ask: “What am I hoping to control through this action? Is that actually up to me?” Often we reach for devices to control uncertainty, boredom, or anxiety—experiences that Epictetus would say we must learn to accept rather than escape.

Epictetus’s teachings offer a path to genuine freedom in an age of designed dependency. By applying his insights to our relationship with technology, we can reclaim our capacity for conscious choice rather than mere reaction.