By Tyler Blakeley
Smartphones have made themselves instrumental in the lives of more than five billion people across the world since their inception, and that number is only getting higher year after year.
As that number climbs, so does our average screen time.
Some advocate for legal limits to be placed on screen time and more regulations over mobile phone use.
Others, like Bennett, are choosing to opt out altogether with a simpler solution: the “dumbphone”.
According to Reddit user BluePeriod_, a dumbphone is “a phone with talk, text, and data that runs apps well enough to work but not so well that it runs social media in any great capacity”.
You can find many different definitions online, but the common link is that they are mobile phones for people looking to reduce screen time without cutting themselves off from basic features such as calls and text.
“It’s a simple phone with only the basics, its primary focus is on texting and calling,” said Bennett, who has been using a dumbphone since early this year. “Some brands have old-school flip phone designs but you’re still able to download modern apps. I think that defeats the purpose!”
Bennett showed me her phone, an HMD 2660 Flip adorned with jewels and a glossy hot-pink case. She had clearly spent a lot of time working on this to make it personal to her. Her explanation helped delve into one reason why young people might be choosing to leave smartphones behind.
“I needed something to force me away from the internet and social media while still being able to be reached in an emergency. Now I can leave my iPhone at home when I go out,” she said.
According to the World Health Organisation, roughly 11 per cent of teenagers display clinical signs of addictive social media behaviour, with 36 per cent of teenagers report using it “almost constantly”.
Abby Rose is a TAFE student who uses a dumbphone. She explained how she manages with her device in the classroom, where mobile phones are becoming such a staple tool for learning.
“During TAFE it doesn’t affect me really,” said Rose. “I still have my iPhone with me for emergencies, but all my work is on a computer and so I only need it for an authentication app to log on.
“It definitely helps me be more present at TAFE and I’ve become more outgoing.”
The r/dumbphones Reddit page had 3000 members five years ago. It had 67,000 members in 2024, and today it has 180,000 weekly visitors.
The movement is growing year after year and as more people become addicted to the Internet the stats tell us that they will gravitate towards dumbphones to police their own habits.
“More people will try them out and love it, and I look forward to our society moving in that direction,” Rose said.
Featured Image: Two dumbphones that have been uniquely personalised. Photo: Kira-Lee Bennett
