I’ve discovered the secret to a happy life in this era of constant connection: ignoring everyone that I know and love. Well, at least ignoring their push notifications on my smartphone by living in “Do Not Disturb” mode.

With Do Not Disturb switched on, you still receive each new notification, but your phone doesn’t ping, buzz, or blip to tell you about it. It’s a trendy yet divisive pivot away from the always-on norm. Tongue-in-cheek fancams celebrating Do Not Disturb mode rack up millions of views on TikTok, alongside viral videos calling out users of the feature as rude.

For one week, I proudly joined the growing tribe of Do Not Disturb maximalists who have their notifications silenced 24/7. My experience as part of the DND crew felt transcendent, albeit a bit annoying for everyone trying to get in touch with me.

Before starting, I reached out to some people who leave their phones set to Do Not Disturb mode all the time to better understand their motivations and to learn what it’s like to live a life devoid of constant disturbances. Unsurprisingly, a few of the calls went directly to voicemail.

Some of those folks did pick up, and throughout these conversations, I learned that the practice of going all-DND all the time has a different impact on each user. Some true believers feel like fully embracing Do Not Disturb has radically transformed their smartphone usage for the better by reducing screentime, while others still clock in plenty of phone-scrolling hours, just on their own terms. While the impacts vary, the motivations often trace back to one core theme: a desire to set boundaries around availability.

The first time one of my friends switched their phone to Do Not Disturb and left it there all day, I was shocked. How taboo! A breaking of th...