I am exactly the demographic who should own a smartphone. I’m young, I’m a student, and all my friends have smartphones. Yet, last Monday, I made the painful decision to downgrade my iPhone to a flip phone.
Frankly, this decision was long awaited. Since I first got a phone, I’ve become increasingly addicted to refreshing my favorite social media apps – even more so over quarantine. I would spend hours a day mindlessly scrolling Instagram and TikTok, only to feel embarrassed and ashamed afterwards. I’ve deleted my social media apps countless times, just to re-download them again a few days later. Sound familiar?
My breaking point was when my average screen time became eight hours a day; If I was ever going to make a change, it would need to be a more permanent step than just deleting an app. Alas, here I am with a flip phone.
Making the transition to a flip phone is far from easy. You have to fundamentally redesign how you run your life. There is no access to the simple luxuries of a smartphone–no maps, no Venmo, no amazing camera, and less distractions.
One thing that was particularly unsettling was no longer having access to my extensive music library. Instead, I had to buy CDs to play while on the road. If you downgrade like I did, expect to be approached frequently if you’re using it in public. The beeps and nostalgic Verizon ringtones draw a lot of attention.
These small inconveniences were hard to adjust to, to say the least, but the hardest part was no longer being distracted. When I have a spare moment waiting in line at a grocery store or at a drive through, I don’t feel tempted to scroll endlessly anymore. This isn’t because I am highly motivated and unattached to my phone, it is because there is nothing to look at. It rings and I deal with it and that’s the end of the story, whereas with an iPhone there are continuous things to look at.
Having to be bored and no longer having constant distractions sets you up to be more in tune with your surroundings and leaves you alone with your thoughts; for some this may be scary, but I found I’m more creative, more thoughtful, and less lazy in the absence of distractions. I use my phone only for its fundamental functions, texting and calling, and it is unsettlingly convenient.
When I told my friends about my decision to downgrade, I realized my screen time was incredibly, and problematically, average. I am not alone in wasting disturbing amounts of time on social media but addressing the reality of the situation is painful. These apps are designed to be addictive and leaving them cold turkey means leaving a life with instantaneous gratification at all hours of the day.
Using a smart phone isn’t inherently bad, but in my experience, I lost control of my time and goals. I’m sure our world will eventually make owning a flip phone too inconvenient for it to be justified. But in the meantime, I encourage you to consider using a flip phone. If you don’t have a problem with social media like I do, perhaps consider it for the cost, durability and not being reachable at all hours of the day. You will be amazed with how much free time you have and the opportunities you miss while looking at a screen.
