Gen Z Are Going Dumb Not Smart With Phones

The invention of the smartphone was one of the biggest technological advancements of all time. There is some debate over which was the first smartphone to hit the market, but there is little question that the arrival of the iPhone in 2007 changed everything. From that moment on, everyone would have access to their emails, the internet and social media at the touch of their fingertips.

The question now is, was that a good thing? It appears as though Gen Zers are not entirely convinced, with some looking to move away from the world of smartphones and back to ‘dumb’ phones that lack any smart features. Or are they?

What is a ‘Dumb’ Phone?

In the early 2000s, mobile phones were still in their infancy. Whilst some offered the user a basic game that could be played, many allowed you to do little more than make and receive phone calls or send and receive text messages. There might have been a calculator or clock, in the majority of cases the phones offered very little in the way of features.

Those sorts of phones still exist, of course, but have been replaced in the majority of instances with phones that have a wealth of different applications, both literally and in terms of what is on offer on the phone. There are maps, photo editing software and dating apps aplenty.

Social media applications like Twitter and TikTok are commonplace on smartphones, whilst the ability to get a new alert and then read the associated article has become the thing that most mobile phone users are used to. ‘Dumb’ phones strip all of that back, removing the ability to do any of that in favour of keeping things as simple as possible.

There are small screens, tactile buttons and very little else on offer, which naturally sees the user reduce the amount of time that they spend staring at the screen as they would with a smartphone. ‘Dumb’ phones allow you to use the phone as it was originally intended and for little else.

Why the Appeal?

For a lot of people, there is almost a requirement to have their phone on them at all times. This means that many people feel as though they are constantly reachable, even outside of normal working hours. Whereas the need to go to your computer in order to check your emails might have been the case in the past, nowadays there is an email application in your pocket that will vibrate any time a new email arrives in your inbox.

As a result, some feel as though they can never turn off, constantly having their boss or other colleague be able to get hold of them wherever they are in the world, as long as they have internet access.

By switching to a ‘dumb’ phone, there is a feeling that people will be able to reclaim the time lost to the screen of a smartphone, as well as take back their life. Rather than being reachable 24/7, those that use ‘dumb’ phones can only be called or sent a text and the majority of people aren’t willing to do that unless it’s an emergency.

There can be no app usage if you don’t have a phone that can install apps, which is much to the delight of people hoping to reduce how much they use their phone. You can still call someone up and have a conversation, you just won’t lose your time to social media or on pointless games you installed to stop yourself from getting bored.

Is it Really Being Driven by Gen Z?

Whilst the usage of ‘dumb’ phones continues, there is some debate about whether this is anything to do with Gen Z. Companies such as HMD Global, the maker of Nokia phones, sells millions of ‘dumb’ phones every year, but almost 80% of the sales are to the likes of the Middle East, India and Africa. In North America, the use of such phones has ‘pretty much flatlined‘ according to an expert, which suggests that it isn’t as common for Gen Zers to use such phones as is being portrayed in some quarters. There are companies out there that are making phones that appeal to certain parts of society, but they aren’t ‘dumb’.

Instead, the likes of Punkt and Light are creating ‘a more intentional phone’, which allows users to engage with certain aspects of the smartphone whilst eschewing others. The co-founder of Light, Joe Hollier, said,

“What we’re trying to do with the Light phone isn’t to create a dumb phone, but to create a more intentional phone, a premium, minimal phone, which isn’t inherently anti-technology. But it’s about consciously choosing how and when to use which aspects of technology that add to my quality of life.”

Using smart features is fine, but the key thing is to have the intention to do so when you do.

The Light Phone II, as an example, has a black and white matte display, allowing you to make calls and send texts. It doesn’t have an internet browser or other applications that might cause anxiety. You can’t check your emails on it or use social media, but you can use it as a personal hotspot if you wish to get online using another device such as a computer or a tablet.

It means that you could, if you wanted to, leave your smartphone behind for a weekend whilst still being contactable if needs be. Tools available include an alarm, a timer, directions, a music player, a calculator, a voice memo app and a way to listen to podcasts.

Whilst some Gen Zers might well be concerned about their mental health and the ways in which the likes of a smartphone might be influencing them in a bad way, the reality is that most young people are happy to keep on using their smartphones and think that ‘dumb’ phones are…well….dumb.

The truth of the matter is that the younger generations have grown up with smart technology and it is only going to become more and more a part of their lives. Although some people might wish that smartphones didn’t exist, they do and they are only going to get smarter. ‘Dumb’ phones might be used by some, but they’ll never by used by the majority.