"It's horrendous" — Lily Allen speaks out against smartphones, reveals her husband controls what apps she has to limit usage

Giorgio Armani - Arrivals - Milan Fashion Week - Womenswear Spring/Summer 2024
Lily Allen (Image via Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images))

English singer and songwriter Lily Allen opened up about what she thinks of smartphones and how it has affected people’s ‘quality of life.’

The Fear hitmaker called smartphones “evil.” For the unversed, the singer had shared the same sentiments back in 2019, when she shared an Instagram video telling her fans that she doesn’t want to use social media anymore and that she’s switching her iPhone for a basic phone.

Allen mentioned then that “staring at [her] phone for four hours a day, lie, seven hours a day” isn’t doing the world any good.

The singer’s sentiments about smartphones haven’t changed as she called them “horrendous” during an interview with The Sunday Times recently. She said:

"The creative side of my brain has been ruined by smartphones. I feel like everyone feels the same."

Lily Allen further commented:

"I don’t know anyone who could possibly say that the quality of their life is improved by the presence of a smartphone. I think it's destroyed us as a species. It’s horrendous that they’re designed to be so addictive. Some of us have more addictive personalities than others."

Lily Allen also mentioned taking necessary steps to limit her screen time, which involves her husband, Stranger Things actor David Harbour. The two wed in a Las Vegas ceremony in September 2020.

Read more: Lily Allen thought Elton John was "mean" for not responding to her letter she forgot to send


"He controls what I’m allowed to have as an app on my phone" — Lily Allen reveals that her husband is the 'caregiver' of her phone

In the same interview, Lily Allen shared the unconventional step she had taken to limit her time mindlessly scrolling on social media. The actress mentioned having her Stranger Things star husband become the ‘caregiver’ of her phone and vice versa.

"I now have a kids' phone called Pinwheel. It has no browsing capability and no social media, but you still have Uber and Spotify."

Read more: What does ‘nepo baby’ mean? Lily Allen calls the term sexist

Talking about her and her husband controlling what apps they can have on each other’s phones, Allen noted:

"My husband is the caregiver on it, so he controls what I'm allowed to have as an app on my phone. I'm the controller of his as well."

Allen explained that her new phone is “made for kids.” She also has some jokes to tell about it, saying that her husband is listed as her parent on her phone and vice versa. Allen jokingly said:

"What's your child's name? David, aged 50."

Read more: Why was Nicki Minaj arrested? Live footage of rapper's arrest in Amsterdam goes viral

The Smile singer also cited the negative effects of social media, what one shares online becomes set in stone, which, according to Allen is “unnatural.” She said:

"We are meant to evolve as people. How are you meant to do that if you're always held to account by things that you've said in the past?"

The singer, who shares two children with ex-husband Sam Cooper, also mentioned to The Sunday Times that she had taken her children’s smartphones after reading that they shouldn’t have access to them at their age.

Read more: How was Selena Gomez involved in 13 Reasons Why?

Quick Links

Edited by Prem Deshpande
Sportskeeda logo
Close menu
WWE
WWE
NBA
NBA
NFL
NFL
MMA
MMA
Tennis
Tennis
NHL
NHL
Golf
Golf
MLB
MLB
Soccer
Soccer
F1
F1
WNBA
WNBA
More
More
bell-icon Manage notifications