Adults and teens worried about their screen time are opting for “dumber” phones a.k.a. dumbphones instead of smartphones. Hidden in many smartphone settings is a feature that shows how much time you spend on your phone each day. This can be an unsettling realization, revealing that a useful technology has turned into an obsession.
“Social media is built around FOMO (fear of missing out), so I felt like I couldn’t get off it,” 16-year-old Luke Martin from Canada told the BBC. “Instantly I got Instagram and it was a downward spiral.” Luke is not alone.
A Harvard University study found that using social networking sites activates the same part of the brain as addictive substances, raising concerns about phone habits among youth. In the UK, Ofcom research estimates that around a quarter of children aged five to seven now own a smartphone. Some studies link social media use with negative mental health effects, particularly in children. Some campaigners advocate for age limits on smartphone use, while others, like Luke, are switching to simpler devices, known as “dumbphones.”
His new phone only has texts, calls, maps, and a few other basic tools. “My friends’ usage is like four to five hours I think, and that’s how much mine used to be before I got this,” he said. “Now mine’s like 20 minutes a day which is really good because I only use it for what I need it for.” Parents are also choosing dumbphones, not only for their children but to be more present with their families. Lizzy Broughton, who has a five-year-old son, recently bought an old-fashioned Nokia “flip” phone. “It helped me recalibrate my own habits, I have way more quality time with my son,” she explained. She plans to give her son a similarly basic phone when he needs one. “It doesn’t feel like the best idea to just start with a smartphone,” she said. “It’s like we’re handing over the world like try to figure out how to navigate that.”
Sales of dumbphones are rising in North America
Sales of dumbphones are rising in North America. At Dumbwireless in Los Angeles, store owners Daisy Krigbaum and Will Stults cater to customers seeking low-tech devices. “We have a lot of parents looking to get their kid that first phone, and they don’t want them drifting off on the internet,” he said.
However, giving up smartphones isn’t easy. Mr. Stults mentioned that some schools require students to have specific apps. Ms. Broughton noted that it’s hard to resist when children see their friends with expensive smartphones. “It’s going to require a community of parents to be like, can we do this differently?” she said.
One solution is a device called “unpluq,” which blocks certain apps like social media when tapped against the phone. “Parents can control the smartphone with this tag, and also monitor the usage,” Mr. Stults said. Several phones are now designed for users wanting to avoid mindless scrolling. Chris Kaspar founded Techless to create an “intentionally boring” but sleek device that resembles an iPhone. The latest version is called the “Wisephone II.” “It has no icons, just words, two colors, and two fonts.” He describes it as “very peaceful, very tranquil.”
It includes limited third-party tools like Uber but no social media. “We’re asking this question—what’s actually good for us?” Mr. Kaspar said. He initially developed the phone for his teenage foster daughters and says 25% of their sales are to children, though it’s marketed to adults. “If you have a phone that’s branded as a kids’ device there’s some shame associated with that. So we made a very adult, sophisticated, Apple-esque, really nice device,” he said.
With app and social-media ad revenue in the billions, major companies have little incentive to promote different habits, he said. Meanwhile, Canadian teen Luke plans to stick with his new phone, despite friends’ reactions. “They think it’s pretty weird but at this point, I’m like it doesn’t really matter because it’s helped me so much,” he said. “It’s taken me into a better spot right now.”