Everything from ordering groceries to getting a cab has become easily achievable on one's smartphones. But many people aren't feeling the need to keep a constantly demanding device around anymore.

According to experts, Gen Z may be giving up cellphones to reduce screen time and take better care of their mental health. Dumb phones are a throwback to technology from the early 2000s. That's about all they can do—calls and SMS.

The Health Impact of Smartphones

These days, they are referred to as feature phones and come with added features like GPS and hotspot capabilities. Gen Z uses screens for almost 7.2 hours per day. More than an hour, compared to Gen X.

Overuse of screens has been connected to bad mental and physical health. Young people and children may be more susceptible to depression as a result. It's associated with an increased risk of obesity as well.

The stripped-down, basic mobile devices we might have donned a decade or two ago are making a comeback among the younger generations, as teenagers seek to regain independence from technology. In the United States, sales of phones with just basic call and text capabilities were up in 2022 for HMD Global - the maker of Nokia - with tens of thousands sold each month.

Smartphones
Image Source: Health

"We see that the market for flip phones is up 5 percent," said Lars Silberbauer, chief marketing officer of Nokia Phones and HMD Global.

"We've doubled our market share in the last year of flip phones, which is quite important for us. And we see that is now picking up in Europe," he told Euronews Next.

"I think the trend is really people taking control of their own lives, of their own digital lives," he adds.

A MediaPeanut poll claimed that many people are returning to dumb phones for the nostalgia factor - the same reason why flip phones are cool again - especially among people in their 30s and 40s. Users may also carry out standard phone functions, such as sending and receiving text messages, using dumb phones.

3200 respondents who have actively been utilizing flip phones rather than smartphones running on iOS or Android were questioned for the poll. Of these, 32% claimed to use a flip phone because all of their friends do, and 34% claimed to have switched to one because it creates a distraction-free atmosphere. Because flip phones are so inexpensive, 16% of respondents indicated they were using one, and 18% said their flip phone was just a temporary substitute for their lost phone.

Dumb phones, which are essentially flip phones with fewer functions, offer a less complex and addicting user experience than smartphones. The gadgets give priority to calls and messages, which are necessary for phone operations. They remove the temptations of social media platforms, which over 50% of teens use for over seven hours a day on average, according to a poll conducted with over forty thousand participants on the online survey app Real Research.

Our psychological health has been shown to suffer from extended periods of scrolling. Numerous research have suggested a link between incessant scrolling and the emergence of symptoms of ADHD, anxiety, despair, and lack of sleep. According to Silberbauer, the popularity of dumbphones indicates that teens are becoming more conscious of how technology affects their mental health.

"We can see from the research that young people are struggling with mental health, and so they're opting out of social media," he says, adding that he has jumped into the trend, ditching his smartphone and turning to his dumbphone during the weekends.

The once-young millennial generation is already starting to age, and popular culture has recently captured their hearts with a nostalgic feeling. Simultaneously, Gen Z, the generation raised in front of screens, seems enthralled with a history they were not able to witness. For instance, pixelated visuals and straightforward gameplay in retro-inspired video games have garnered a loyal fan base once again.

"I think you can see it with certain Gen Z populations — they’re tired of the screens," said Jose Briones, dumb phone influencer and moderator of the subreddit 'r/dumbphones' - a community about dumbphones, dumbed down smartphones, and feature phones - to CNBC.

According to Silberbauer, nostalgia makes one long for some time when things are easier and carefree. This nostalgia has also contributed to the emergence of the dumbphone craze, he says.

"People want to go back to the early 2000s or the '90s, I think that's a remembrance of a happier time, a time where things were a bit simpler".

In the subreddit, users are encouraged to "join the revolution and enjoy the simple life!"

"Hey everyone, looking to make the move toward a dumb phone as my screen addiction has gotten pretty bad. I've used the dumbphone finder but wanted to ask for more perspectives," writes u/findlaymurdoch

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