Seventeen-year-old Robin West is an anomaly among her peers--she doesn't have a smartphone. Instead of scrolling through apps like TikTok and Instagram all day, she uses a so-called "dumbphone." These are basic handsets with very limited functionality compared to say an iPhone. You can typically only make and receive calls and SMS text messages. You can take very basic photos, but definitely not connect to the internet or apps.

Robin says, "I didn't notice until I bought a brick phone how much a smartphone was taking over my life. I had a lot of social media apps on it, and I didn't get as much work done as I was always on my phone."

Dumbphones are continuing to enjoy a revival. Google searches for them jumped by 89% between 2018 and 2021. One report said that global purchases of dumbphones were due to hit one billion units last year, up from 400 million in 2019.

It's true that dumbphones can't compete with the latest smartphones when it comes to performance or functionality, but they can outshine them in equally important areas such as battery life and durability.

Tech expert, Sandra Wachter, says that smartphones always "want to grab your attention" with notifications, updates, and breaking news constantly disrupting your day. "This can keep you on edge, might even be agitating. It can be overwhelming."

Wachter adds,

It makes sense that some of us are now looking for simpler technologies and think that dumbphones might offer a return to simpler times. It might leave more time to fully concentrate on a single task and engage with it more purposefully. It might even calm people down. Studies have shown that too much choice can create unhappiness and agitation.