Via The Verge. It looks like the classic and traditional "dumb phone" is actually making a comeback these days!
That’s why I want the cheap dumb phone to make a comeback, and I’m so excited it’s on the verge of potentially doing so as more Gen Zers increasingly embrace it. I need a break, and as long as my iPhone is this good, I don’t think I’m going to immediately give it to myself. I need a phone that, while waiting in line to fuel my caffeine addiction, lacks apps so I can’t whip it out and distract myself with the news or FOMO-inducing vacation photos. A phone, ideally, with no camera, either, that won’t pull me away from enjoying the present moment with my baby nephew as he flashes me one of his first toothy smiles.
I want it to be a Thing, too. Something common again so I don’t feel like a freak as I draw attention pulling out a dumb phone that looks like it’s from the early 2000s, which has actually happened. I also want it to be affordable so everybody can own one, not a couple of hundred bucks, as many popular dumb phones like the Light Phone currently cost.
And yes, I know what you’re thinking. “Why don’t you just put your phone on ‘Do Not Disturb’?” I have. Multiple times. On good days when my willpower is high, sometimes it helps. But I’m only human, and smartphones and apps are designed to be addictive. On those days when I’m already feeling down or exhausted, the temptation to pull out my smartphone for a quick and easy dopamine rush gets too strong. I know I’m not alone.
We’ve proposed bringing dumb phones back before, back in the days when Trump ran the country by Twitter and rattled our collective nerves with each new tweet. The need to log off was great, and now it feels even greater.
Since then, we’ve suffered a global pandemic while the US witnessed a literal attempted coup. Russia invaded Ukraine, which has cost well over 200,000 people their lives, destabilized the region, and contributed to major food shortages. As that conflict continues to unfold, we’ve also recently hit our — what? — millionth major financial crisis in 15 years? Every other week, we live in unprecedented times, and it’s no wonder depression diagnoses are on the rise.
At the same time, technology is just getting better — and even more distracting. There are even more addictive apps as well as more capable smartphones and AI tools to polish up our lives. And as social media companies continue to add more and more distracting features, research increasingly demonstrates the negative impact it’s all having on the mental health of young people and adults alike. It’s no wonder: reading the news sometimes makes it feels like the world’s about to end, yet somehow Instagram and LinkedIn feeds make it feel like everybody’s winning at life every day and all the time. And they’re doing it all while looking like supermodels, too, thanks to incredibly good AI filters.
Nokia 6300 4G | Unlocked | International | WiFi Hotspot | Social Apps | Google Maps and Assistant | Light CharcoalEasyfone Prime-A6 4G Unlocked Feature Cell Phone, Easy-to-Use Clear Sound GSM Dumbphone with an Easy Charging DockEasyfone Prime-A1 Pro 4G Easy-to-Use Flip Cell Phone, 2.4'' HD Display, Big Buttons, Clear Sound, Large Fonts, SOS Button, SIM Card Included, Dumbphone with 1500mAh Battery and a Charging Dock (Red)
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