Comedian, activist, podcast host, author, and father W. Kamau Bell considers his phone indispensable. A charger ranks as his most essential accessory—without it, he said, all devices become "shiny paperweights."
Bell's daily routine centers on a few core apps. He uses mapping applications extensively, expressing frustration with their current state. He prefers MapQuest but wishes its app were more developed to avoid, as he put it, "Trump Billionaire guys' apps"—he cited one listing the "Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America."
YouTube is the first app Bell installs on any new device. "I need somebody constantly telling me something about something. Or singing me something about something," he said.
His browser habits reveal a particular workflow: Bell typically keeps 17 windows open across two browser sessions, which he considers "light work." When writing a Substack article, that number climbs to 30. He closes these windows only after publishing, saying he must "earn the right to close a window."
Bell's relationship with social media has shifted markedly. He described a past addiction to Twitter, crediting Elon Musk with ending it by "ruining Twitter." He acknowledged that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is "not significantly better than Elon" but said platforms like Instagram and Threads are necessary for a "public-facing person." He noted his generation's willingness to abandon social platforms—citing earlier departures from MySpace and Friendster as precedent.
Bell integrates digital media into family life, watching Japanese videos and Lionfield clips on Instagram with his 8-year-old child.
