Europe and the United States are returning to "dumb phones" to avoid "brainless screen browsing and FOMO"
The new mobile phone of 16-year-old Canadian boy Luke Martin has very limited functions and can only make calls, send messages and check maps.
According to a report by the British Broadcasting Corporation on the 9th, Martin chose this "dumb phone" to reduce screen time and avoid being addicted to social media, which is in line with the recent trend of using "dumb phones" in Europe and the United States.
When Martin uses his smartphone, he often opens social media applications. "I installed a 'photo wall' early, and then the situation got worse and worse." He said that using social media makes people suffer from "phobia of missing out". He fears he will never be able to escape social media again.
The report quoted a study from Harvard University in the United States as saying that when people use social media, the brain response areas are consistent with the response to ingesting addictive substances, showing that social media can be addictive. There are also studies showing that excessive use of social media harms mental health.
As smartphone users become increasingly younger, this issue has caused concern. A survey by Ofcom shows that about a quarter of children aged 5 to 7 have their own smartphone. Many people have therefore called for age restrictions on smartphone users. Consumers like Martin actively choose "dumb phones" with simple functions and limited application software.
Martin said that friends who use smartphones often face screen time for up to four or five hours a day, and he used to do the same. "Now I only use it for about 20 minutes a day, and I only use it when I need it, which is really good."
Many parents have also begun to favor "dumb phones", buying them not only for their children but also for themselves and other family members.
Lizzie Broughton, who has a five-year-old son, bought herself an old Nokia flip phone. She said this gave her the opportunity to adjust her living habits and spend more quality parent-child time with her son. She plans to buy a similar mobile phone for her son when he can use it. "It's not a good idea to use a smartphone in the first place."
The sales of "dumb phones" in North America have been on the rise recently. Will Starz, owner of "Dumb Wireless", a store specializing in such businesses in Los Angeles, said that when buying their children's first mobile phone, many parents are worried that their children will get lost in the online world, so dumb phones are a good choice.
However, change is not easy. Broughton said that many schools require children to use certain mobile phone applications to complete learning tasks. Whenever children see their peers using expensive smartphones, it is often difficult for them to accept their own "stupid phones".
As more and more consumers seek to reduce their screen time, some new products have emerged. For example, a small device called "Unplug" can wirelessly block certain mobile applications by tapping the phone. Starz said that parents can use this device to control and monitor smartphone use.
Some developers have launched mobile phones that prevent users from "mindlessly scrolling". The "No Technology" company founded by Chris Casper has developed a mobile phone that has a stylish appearance but a "deliberately" boring interface: no icons, only text, and can only display two colors and two font. The latest version of the phone, dubbed "Smartphone 2," has a limited set of apps that can be installed, including taxi-hailing apps but not social media.
Casper was thinking about his daughter when he designed this phone. He said that the main consideration in the design was "What is good for us?" This phone is already on sale, and its target consumers are adults, but about 25% of it is currently sold to children.
Kasper predicts that it will be difficult for "dumb phones" to become mainstream, because the advertising profits of various mobile applications and social media often amount to billions of dollars, and it is difficult for large companies to have the motivation to push consumers to change their habits.
