Some Gen Zers swap smartphones for "dumb" phones in a bid to unplug
"It really opens up your mind," said one 23-year-old who ditched smartphones to wean herself off social media.
In a bid to unplug from social media, a growing number of young people are trading in their smartphones for simpler, "dumb" phones, according to CBS News. Kendall Schrohe, a 23-year-old Washington, D.C., resident, made the switch from her iPhone to a flip phone and declared it a "heaven on earth" moment. She is part of a trend where about half of U.S. adults visit social media platforms at least once a day, with teens spending nearly five hours a day on these platforms.
So-called dumb phones come in various forms, from old-school flip phones that only handle calls and texts, to devices that integrate messaging and apps, and even smartphones with features that block social media. Schrohe acquired her flip phone from Dumb.co, a startup that sells these devices without social media capabilities. The startup boasts over 5,000 active users, with the typical customer being a 24-year-old woman.
While the transition to a dumb phone has been liberating for Schrohe, she acknowledged that social media is a hard habit to break. The average young person finds it challenging to imagine a life without these platforms, which have been a norm throughout their existence. Dr. Jason Nagata, a pediatrician and professor at the University of California, San Francisco, likens social media usage to substance abuse, noting that certain design features can lead to symptoms similar to addiction, such as impaired control, withdrawal, tolerance, and relapse.
Research suggests that reducing social media usage or abstaining altogether can lead to long-term benefits, including improved sleep, better concentration, and reduced stress. For Schrohe, the switch required a significant commitment, with the help of a program called Month Offline, which partners with Dumb.co to challenge participants to go 30 days without their smartphones and engage in screen-free activities.
She found that the extreme measure of being unable to access social media helped her realize that she preferred life without it.
Written by urgent.news from CBS News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
