Many young adults are ditching smartphones for dumbphones, seeking mental clarity but fearing disorientation
City: People are moving to dumbphones. My friend Lilah is really crunchy. She won’t hurt bugs or rats. Once, I had to try her homemade wine, and it was bad! Lilah worked at a nonprofit but then lived in a yurt. After that, she moved into an attic, where squirrels were her roommates. She had to own an iPhone for a while because a university administrator said she must have one for school.
But when she graduated, she bought a dumbphone. This phone is really dumb! It connects to Wi-Fi but has no internet and no apps. Now, Lilah goes smartphoneless. She told me she wanted to stop feeling like her brain was taken over.
Many young people understand why Lilah made this choice. I get it too, because I waste hours scrolling and watching videos. Sometimes, I feel shame for spending so much time online. I like the idea of keeping my personal data safe and not seeing ads all the time.
But I’m scared to go dumb. Losing my smartphone would confuse me, and I think it would make me less capable. I feel embarrassed, but my smartphone is like a part of me. When I can’t find it, I feel like something is missing.
This feeling isn’t new. In 1998, researchers Andy Clark and David Chalmers said our minds can connect with tools. When I check my grocery list on my phone or use Google Maps, they become part of my thinking process. My iPhone has been part of my life since I was 14, so now, we’re completely linked.
But is it worth trying to disconnect? Is it even possible, as people with dumbphones believe?
In 1985, psychologist Daniel Wegner talked about how couples share memories. They work as a team to remember things together, just like me and my iPhone. When I tried to get a new phone at the end of high school, I lost photos from that year and the memories disappeared with them. I knew those moments happened, but I didn’t feel connected to them anymore.