For those interested, there is a whole dumb phone subreddit with 174k weekly visits. There’s also a digital minimalism movement. Both have some really interesting ideas on how to live without smartphones, or less of them.
Can I get $100 a week for not scrolling?
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LOL, 174k visits on a dumb phone subreddit? Isn’t that sort of against the point?! 
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I’m not into dumb phones, but I only look at Reddit on my desktop or tablet. I also only use CC on my desktop or tablet. So I think they lurk amongst us.
My son ditched his iPhone in Jan 2025 and got a flip phone. He wanted peace and quiet and realized he was spending more time on it than he preferred.
However, when he had an impromptu trip to NYC he realized that not having maps etc is a problem, etc.
So…he now alternates between a new iPhone and his flip phone. The latter for day to day use, and the iPhone when traveling.
(He also prefers vinyl records, uses a Freewrite for papers, and is a thrift store customer. He has a Mac, and AirPods, etc, but he really prefers old school items. And much prefers old used books versus his kindle.)
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In recent airline flights that I had, there was no barrier against getting a paper boarding pass.
However, it is convenient to check in ahead of time by web or app. Then pick up a paper boarding pass from the kiosk after arriving at the airport.
It hasn’t happened yet, but I have read that it is coming.
When D started college (Fall 2009) she quickly discovered she needed a smartphone because the professors assumed EVERYONE had one (most did). Remember when Covid shots first became available and older folks had no idea how to sign up on line?
There are a lot of assumptions that everyone has a smartphone.
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I am not at all into audio books and I have a Kindle which I use only on vacation. I still go to the library and check out books!
Fun story, I hosted book club in October. We read Endeavor: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage. (If you have never read this, do so now. None of us could put it down!) I picked up my copy at the library and was super amused to see that it was the original edition from 1959. The pages were crumbling and it still had a little envelope stuck to the inside cover, and the paper slip glued in with the last date stamp of 1999. It had food stains, tears, etc… I LOVED reading that! It was fun to think of all the people who had read it before me. When I turned it in, I showed it to the librarian who couldn’t believe it was still in circulation.
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My oldest had a dumb phone for awhile but it didn’t last that long. I think maps was the main thing. Both of my kids have gone through phases where they delete Instagram and other apps but D22 is considering a communications internship and I’m not sure if she will need to put social media apps back on her phone if she does that. I have to have the social media apps for my work.
Mine too. My oldest does so during periods of increased anxiety knowing that it increases their stress level. I do think young people become more self aware as they age.
My youngest very much limits his phone use, I think only accesses it a couple times a day in a scheduled way. He also recently asked us to change the passwords on our shared streaming services so he would not “waste time on movies/shows” (his words, not mine)
And I spend way too much time on CC.
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My kids text extensively. They both use laptop/desktop for interactive games and S for his work of buying & selling inventory. They tend not to do much social media but will check out their friends/relatives activities on their social media.
Using dumb phones and ditching social media sound like separate issues to me. I don’t use Facebook, Instagram, or similar type of traditional social media sites. I’ve tried some, but it’s a net negative for me. I’d prefer to do other things with my time.
However, I have no interest in switching to a “dumb” phone. Owning a smart phone is essential to me. Without a smart phone I could not do my job, my quality of life would be worse, and I’d have a financial loss. Smart phones serve many important benefits for me besides just being a means to use social media apps. Some examples are below. I could list dozens more.
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I work from home. My employer requires use of smartphone to remotely login to work network via multi-factor authentication on phone.
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When I am away from home or when laptop has issue, I use phone to attend work meetings noted above. My phone serves as a backup for my computer in other situations as well.
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One of my brokerages requires thumbprint on phone to login to brokerage account – both to make trades and to review. Without access to this brokerage, I’d earn several thousand less per year due to special promotions. My funds would also be less secure.
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Many of my hearing aid controls require a smartphone.
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With the hearing loss noted above, I find live captioning on phone to be helpful in numerous situations. I may use live captioning for phone calls, work meetings, etc.
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I average 8-9 miles walked per day, a good portion of it while listing to podcasts or audiobooks. I play the podcast/audiobook on my smartphone, then broadcast to hearing aid. This is hours of smartphone use most days, which usually makes the experience more pleasant. I’d make similar comments for long drives.
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The walking noted above also includes hiking in locations where being able to view a map on my smartphone has been essential numerous times.
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Using driving directions on phone is also essential for me, and can be a big time saver, including things like changing route depending on traffic. Writing down routes or using paper maps is not an adequate substitute.
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My smartphones has numerous other apps that have been critical for me at times including Uber/Lyft when I am stuck and need a ride, flashlight (ended up outside after civil twilight during most recent full day hike), wifi/bluetooth scan (has saved me hundreds of $ including finding lost hearing aid in woods), operating/fixing different other smart type products (often made by Google), etc.
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Cash savings with in store apps (often grocery/food/restaurant), again saving thousands over lifetime
My 3 kids, 18, 22 and 23 are still pretty addicted to their phones. They post very little on social media and aren’t on facebook at all but can look at TikToks for hours on end. They a barely ever watch TV and only one is an avid reader.