Ed Sheeran says he hasn't carried a phone since 2015 due to mental health reasons
"I got really, really overwhelmed and sad with the phone."
Ed Sheeran recently revealed why he ditched his phone years ago.
Speaking on the The Collector’s Edition podcast in an episode posted Monday, the "Shivers" singer shared, "I don't carry a phone, no ... I haven't had a phone since 2015."
He then said why quitting his cellular plan cold turkey was one of the best choices he ever made, explaining how his mental health was suffering because of the device.
"I got really, really overwhelmed and sad with the phone. I just spent my whole time in a very low place," said Sheeran, detailing how answering text messages straight away "would stress me out."
He added there were immediate benefits after he "got rid of it" at the end of his X (Multiply) world tour.
"It was, like, a veil just lifted... I didn't so much cut contact with people, I just limit contact with people," he continued. "Now, I have an email... and every few days, I'll sit down and open up my laptop and I'll answer 10 emails at a time... And then I'll go back to living life and I don't feel overwhelmed by it."
Sheeran says "the best thing about" ditching the phone, aside from feeling less stressed, "Is the moments that I have with the people I love in person, uninterrupted."
He added that he finds it funny that, when he goes out with large groups of friends, he notices how many have their noses buried in their phones. "I'll be like, 'Good chat, guys!'" he joked.
Sheeran also believes phones are too advanced nowadays and should "take a step back" so they're less complicated. He then yearned for his old BlackBerry Bold and the old BBM messaging service it offered.
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