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I Forgot My Phone

charstarleneTV
Comedy
YouTube
2 HN users recommended this comedy video2 months2013–2026 score 2
Years with an HN recommendation, 2007–2026

Cited in threads about phone addiction and distraction as a classic, widely seen illustration of the problem.

A two-minute satirical short film in which a woman leaves her phone at home and notices how everyone around her is absorbed in their screens. It became a viral comment on phone distraction and social disconnection.

2 recommendations · 2 citations · Comedy

4 Hacker News comments

From the HN archive; up to 20 kept per video, favoring different commenters. Recommendations first.

@ohwp Aug 2013 Recommends
on HN thread Life without a cell phone
I own a cell phone but never use it for the same reasons as you. Never missed it, never will. This month a video went viral about the subject: [this video] (I Forgot My Phone). So true.
Viral short film about forgetting your phone; commenter says it rings true.
@freshhawk Sep 2013 Recommends
on HN thread We're creating a culture of distraction
Have you seen the short film called "I Forgot my Phone" ( [this video] )? It deals with exactly this subject and has a great surreal creepy vibe. Made me think about how many times I've been that blinking person who didn't hear their food order, which I dislike but keep doing.
Short film on phone distraction with a great surreal creepy vibe.

Citations, criticism and jokes

@ladino Aug 2013 Cites it
on HN thread Don’t Be Anti-Social During Meals With Friends.
A lot of people got that video (I Forgot My Phone): [this video] which shows a well known first world problem. Maybe there is time for an mobile device (n)etiquette? Let's catch some rules and i will put them together ;)
Widely-seen video showing a first-world problem of phone distraction.
@jcynix Feb 2026 Cites it
on HN thread TikTok's 'Addictive Design' Found to Be Illegal in Europe
Read more
When it's a streaming service, it might be equally worse IMO, but a bit less so if it's music you own. But anyways, I call these folks "electro autists" (with apologies to real autists) as they are rarely reachable for social interactions. Saying "good morning" in the elevator? No chance. Nor recognizing people left or right. Or in the gym, where they block machines for many minutes, i.e. much more than the one or two minutes of resting in between sets, while paging through social media in between sets. Asking them to unblock a machine in the gym? Some are reachable there if you stand in front of them and wave your hands. And walking the dog, or strolling with kids while on "social" media. I often observe them to neither recognize when either dog or kid try to show them things or events. I sometimes wonder (aloud and near them ;-), if they phone with their companions. Oldie but Goldie: Charlene Guzman's video "I forgot my phone" from 12 years ago: [this video] I like music and I like videos, but I also learned to concentrate on the task at hand and/or the people besides me. Disclaimer: listening to music while doing chores like washing dishes is OK. But I prefer a dish washer and connect to people while the dish washer is running.
Classic video about phone absorption, cited as oldie but goldie.

Video list and Hacker News comment labels from HackerTube (prompted by @karpathy), released under ODC-By 1.0, built on the open-index/hacker-news archive. Hacker News data is provided by Y Combinator; comments remain the work of their authors. Video titles, channel names and thumbnails belong to their creators and are shown via YouTube. HackerTube Watch is an unofficial edition. Data export of 2026-10-31.

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