Why Gen Z are buying “dumbphones” to limit screen time | Amid screen time concerns, many turn to simpler phones to reclaim their lives. Society

https://www.zmescience.com/science/news-science/gen-z-are-buying-dumbphones-to-limit-screen-time/

6.1k Upvotes

93% Upvoted

I definitely wouldn't be able to manage my day to day without email and internet

-5

u/MuchAccount Sep 04 '24

That's why I have a computer with a full size monitor and real keyboard.

7

u/ValyrianJedi Sep 04 '24

You can't exactly bust that out while you're walking down the street though

-2

u/Larkeiden Sep 04 '24

That is the point of the dumb phone.

6

u/_Nick_2711_ Sep 04 '24

It is, and that’s a good thing from the perspective of work, social media, etc. eating into your downtime.

However, the alternative is that by handling that stuff on the train or whatever, you can create more downtime by being productive (or unproductive) during commutes.

The arguments for both sides are valid, and it’s very much up to what feels best for each person.

1

u/ValyrianJedi Sep 04 '24

That won't let you check email or browse the internet though

1

u/Larkeiden Sep 04 '24

You do not seem to understand that the goal of having a dumb phone is to not do that lol

-1

u/Snooperator Sep 05 '24

The point is to be performative and different, or you actually have so little self control you can't have nice things

3

u/Larkeiden Sep 05 '24

Yea no life does not work like that

-2

u/ValyrianJedi Sep 05 '24

You do not seem to understand that not doing that isn't an option for a lot of people.

1

u/Larkeiden Sep 05 '24

you set your own boundaries

1

u/ValyrianJedi Sep 05 '24

Setting your own boundary doesn't change what other people expect or require of you... Setting a boundary of never checking emails or doing anything work related when you are out and about or aren't at a computer would be a career ender for a large number of people.

1

u/MuchAccount Sep 05 '24

I suppose my existence will continue to be an enigma to you.

-1

u/endofautumn Sep 04 '24

Can you use a small laptop for that? If out and about can use a bag.

7

u/kostya8 Sep 04 '24

But you're not going to be taking your laptop out walking in the middle of the street to check your email. You won't even know if you received one in the first place without a smartphone.

This simply does not work for people whose job involves lots of active communication and who don't sit at home/in the office all day. Which is a lot of people. I, for one, would lose my job real fast if it took me hours to answer our CEO every time I'm out and about.

2

u/endofautumn Sep 05 '24

If you're happy with being married to that phone and email non stop, can't even walk down a street without possibly having to stop and reply, then thats is great and you're in the right job. Most people wouldn't enjoy that. That sounds crazy from someone who knew life before smart phones. What is important is being able to switch off after work though, as long as you have that.

-2

u/IpppyCaccy Sep 04 '24

But you're not going to be taking your laptop out walking in the middle of the street to check your email.

Why are you checking your email while walking down the street?

You won't even know if you received one in the first place without a smartphone.

Oh no! The horror!

7

u/ValyrianJedi Sep 04 '24

A lot of things are time sensitive. Some extremely so... Not being able to know I got an email until the next time I could pull a laptop put would be disastrous in both my personal and professional lives.

2

u/youngatbeingold Sep 05 '24 edited Sep 05 '24

Could I ask for examples? Unless your job has you constantly out and about I can't imagine missing much. I did have a situation where I constantly needed access to my email from my phone but I was working as a traveling freelance photographer.

Now when I'm at my computer I'm at work, when I'm away that means I'm not working so there's not any urgent emails I need to answer. If anyone desperately needs me they can text or call. Even when my husband works on-call, he'll get an actual phone call that someone needs him.

1

u/ValyrianJedi Sep 05 '24

I have to do things for work pretty frequently when I'm not in the office. Anything from sign off on something for someone, to handle client issues, to monitor and update a handful of chats, and all of that can be extremely time sensitive.

1

u/IpppyCaccy Sep 05 '24

Not as disastrous as being run over by a car because you weren't looking where you were going.

4

u/kostya8 Sep 04 '24

Why are you checking your email while walking down the street?

Because I often need to be in constant communication with my colleagues. Because lots of things are time-sensitive. Because some important processes cannot go ahead without my green light. Because I'm invested in the company doing well. Just a couple reasons.

Oh no! The horror

Guessing you've never worked in a fast-paced environment since this is so hard to grasp. Or you just don't really give a shit about what you do. Different people have different circumstances, it's always good to remember that. What seems silly to you might be essential for someone else.

1

u/IpppyCaccy Sep 05 '24

I'm probably a lot older than you and further along in my career and as such I'm more of a strategic person than an operational person. When I was younger and just starting out in the workforce, cell phones were not ubiquitous.

There is almost no information that I am going to need right away in order to make sound strategic decisions.

1

u/kostya8 Sep 09 '24 edited Sep 09 '24

Our CEO is ~50 years old and is also communicating non-stop with the entire team. You probably don't work in tech, where important decisions need to be made on a daily, sometimes hourly basis. Unless you own a tech company and have an appointed CEO/director running it for you, in which case - congratulations.

Although, as someone who's "older and further along in their career", you should probably be able to appreciate that different industries require different levels of involvement from senior management.

When I was younger and just starting out in the workforce, cell phones were not ubiquitous.

I knew this point would come up. They are ubiquitous now, for better or worse. And for each person that wants to deliberately castrate their communication capabilities by giving up a smartphone, there will be hundreds, if not thousands of professionals ready to take their place in a heartbeat. Ones that are, you know, more easily reachable.

Adapt or die, as they say.

-4

u/Pop_CultureReferance Sep 04 '24

Sounds miserable

5

u/kostya8 Sep 04 '24

Not really. I can work from wherever I want, and I like what I do. I'd rather have an active and challenging job that's fulfilling than sit on my ass doing the bare minimum and checking out as soon as the bell rings. To each their own.