Americans are ditching their smartphones for ‘dumb’ devices that only make calls and send texts to avoid ‘zombie mode’

More and more people are abandoning smartphones in favor of “dumb phones” that only make calls and send text messages to avoid going into “zombie mode.”

The popularity of simple devices has grown rapidly – ​​last year, 2.8 million units were sold in the US along with people claiming that they feel calmer and more present in their daily lives.

The California resident told DailyMail.com she decided to make the switch after realising she had spent the entire summer on her smartphone, claiming she could barely remember the time – she even forgot where she had been walking her dog.

Caroline Cadwell explained that switching to a handsfree phone initially seemed impractical, but over time it became liberating.

“Space and time, that’s how I would describe it. It’s amazing how much your relationships can gain by giving that up,” she said.

Companies like Dumbwireless sell simple devices to smartphone addicts, and a growing number of anti-smartphone organizations are trying to curb the use of these devices, especially among children.

Activists point to statistics such as the fact that the advent of smartphones has likely coincided with rising rates of depression and anxiety, which increased by more than 50 percent between 2010 and 2019.

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Cadwell spent 15 years working at high-growth startups in Barcelona and San Francisco before she left her job due to burnout and realized the problem was her smartphone.

“I left my job because I was burned out and spent almost three months in what I would describe as zombie mode,” she said.

“It was summer and I barely remember it, I didn’t do anything. When I almost didn’t have that time anymore and I felt better, I started thinking about what I had influenced in my burnout, and the biggest factor was the lack of boundaries at work.”

Previously, she felt the need to be available at all times, even for calls at 11pm.

However, Cadwell realized the extent of her addiction when she couldn’t remember where she had walked her dog because she kept replying to messages on Slack.

She said that at first, switching to a dumb phone was impractical, but then it became liberating.

“Space and time is how I would describe it. It’s amazing what your relationships can gain by giving that up,” Cadwell said.

It launched a product called Unpluq, which blocks apps on smartphones so people can use them in a healthier way.

Cadwell said users are spending an average of 72 minutes less per day on their phones.

“I think people are becoming more aware of the dangers of social media and smartphones. “I think very few of them would argue that it is 100% GOOD for us, or that social media is ONLY good,” she continued.

“Is there room for more people to take more action? Absolutely, and we’re starting to see that, but I think the younger generations are going to be at the forefront of changing the relationship with their smartphones from the get-go.

Homemaker and freelance editor Christina Dinur switched to a “dumb phone,” inspired by a friend who gave up her smartphone because it took her away from her kids.

“I had been feeling the same way for a while, but I wasn’t sure what to do about it. I haven’t been able to establish healthy boundaries around my smartphone use, but buying a stupid phone seemed so radical,” said Dinur, a Milwaukee resident.

“Talking to my friend about her experience gave me the courage I needed to finally make this change.”

Dinur continued to explain that she was inspired by reading Jonathan Haidt’s book “The Anxious Generation,” which links the advent of smartphones to rising anxiety levels among young people.

“The book convinced me that kids shouldn’t have smartphones or social media, but the elephant in the room was my own smartphone addiction,” she said.

“I didn’t know how I was going to have anything to say ‘no’ on when my kids started asking for a smartphone when they saw I was glued to it all the time. Buying a stupid phone solved the problem.

Not having a smartphone turned out to be easier than she expected, Dinur said, and she doesn’t regret it at all, even if she has to jot down directions in a notebook before leaving the house.

“I feel so unburdened. I really had trouble controlling my smartphone. I always took out my phone to check email and social media, even though there was rarely anything interesting to see,” her mother explained.

“Thanks to silent calls, I no longer have that option and that’s a relief for me. I feel much calmer and more present in the physical world around me, especially with my children.”

Dinur said she still uses social media on her laptop, but only checks it a few times a day rather than constantly.

“Even when I log in for the first time in hours, there’s still rarely anything interesting to see there, which really reminds me what a waste of time it was checking it dozens of times a day on my smartphone,” he added. she continued.

Dinur explained that giving up her smartphone has allowed her to concentrate longer, read more books and spend more time with her family.

She is currently part of the US Smartphone Free Childhood movement and makes sure her children, aged three and five, do not grow up with unhealthy digital habits.

Smartphone Free Childhood operates through WhatsApp groups in many US states and works with local governments and school boards to limit children’s smartphone use.

“Many adults do not have a healthy relationship with their smartphones, so why would we think these devices could be beneficial for children whose brains and impulse control are still developing,” Dinur said.

Stephen Kurczy, author of “The Quiet Zone,” traveled to Green Bank, Virginia – a town without cell phone service due to nearby radio telescopes – and realized that many people were experiencing “withdrawal.”

The book examines our relationship with smartphones through the prism of a city where all wireless transmission is subject to rigorous controls.

“When I was making ‘The Quiet Zone,’ I talked to a lot of people and heard stories of a lot of people who experienced smartphone withdrawal symptoms after coming to Green Bank, West Virginia, where there is no cell phone service by law,” he said.

“Younger people seem to break out in hives when they realise their phones aren’t working,” a local told me.

Even after guests learn that there is no cell service in the Silence Zone, they tend to instinctively check their devices, like an uncontrollable tic.

“There is research to support this theory: people touch their smartphones more than 2,600 times a day.”

Kurczy said that while he was writing the book, his wife constantly checked her iPhone until after a week she began to adjust to the slower pace of life.

“It was liberating for her,” he said.

Kurczy personally did not give up having a smartphone – because he never had one.

“It’s a way to create a little bit of silence in my life. A lot of research now shows that people are happier and more productive if they’re not online all the time. I understand that a lot of people need their smartphones for work or whatever else, the author explained.

“But I found a way to live without a phone, and I want others to have that option, too. I have two kids now, and I can’t wait for them to get phones soon.”

He decided to never buy a smartphone because he had difficulty setting limits on his laptop use anyway.

“I know I wouldn’t have enough willpower to resist excessive smartphone use,” Kurczy said.

“For example, just today I was cooling off in a pond with my two kids and I thought it would be fun to buy a new beach rake.

“If I had a smartphone at that moment, I would have logged onto Amazon and started browsing for the best rake, and I would have quickly gotten lost in the maze of robberies, texts, emails, news alerts… Fortunately, I was able to stay in the moment with my children. In general, it is very difficult to be in the here and now.

“Smartphones make it even more difficult.”