Opinion: Dumbphones and digital detox

The rise of dumbphones hints at Gen-Z’s attempt to reduce mindless scrolling and avoid its detrimental effects

Imagine checking your phone for a quick 5-minute break from your work. Before you know it, you’ve spent the next 1 hour aimlessly scrolling past reels and posts on social media. If this sounds familiar, you may be yet another victim of mindless scrolling.

With smartphones becoming an inseparable part of our lives and the massive influx of information and entertainment that social media brings to our phone screens, mindlessly scrolling without a clear purpose or engagement has become a familiar behaviour in many of our lives (Yasmeen, 2024).

Smartphone usage in India has been on a steady rise ever since the pandemic, having risen from 52% in 2020 to almost 75% in 2024 (Statista, 2023). An average smartphone user checks their phone at least 58 times a day and spends at least 4 hours and 37 minutes daily just scrolling through their mobile screens (Howarth, 2024). These numbers indicate a greater accessibility to social media platforms and subsequently a higher risk of being stuck in the vicious cycle of mindless scrolling. Studies have shown that the younger generations are more likely to fall prey to this phenomenon owing to the unchecked use of social media from a young age.

The Gen-Z however, has been quick to recognise the problem and find a way out of the perils of mindless scrolling. Their answer has been to make the traditional, featureless flip phones look cool again (Teotia, 2024). Yes, that’s right! The old and boring phones, called ‘dumbphones’, are back in trend again. Beyond being merely a fashion statement, the rise of dumbphones hints at Gen-Z’s shift away from the technological advances they have grown up around (Teotia, 2024). It is worth exploring if giving up smartphones is truly the way out of the mindless scrolling cycle and if Gen-Z has already found a solution to the problem that looms over their generation today.

Mindless Scrolling

Mindless scrolling is an act of passive social media consumption, without a defined goal or a purpose and often involves a reduced awareness of the amount of time being spent on the activity. At its extreme levels, mindless scrolling can hamper everyday productivity. Research surrounding this phenomenon reveals that the “wasteful” time spent aimlessly scrolling through social media has a significant long-term psychological impact. There is a sense of guilt attached to this media behaviour as it often keeps people from working towards their goals. In fact, individuals with low self-control are more prone to find themselves in the cycle of mindless scrolling and ultimately experience higher levels of goal conflict. The subsequent guilt may contribute to further deteriorating one’s mental well-being (Vicente et al, 2024).

Research shows that one of the biggest reasons for scrolling to become so addictive is the ease of accessing similar content online. Increased accessibility makes it easier for the brain to process the information, thus leading to an unconscious anticipation of it (Woolley & Sharif, 2022). This means that people often tend to go down the rabbit hole of mindlessly scrolling simply because it “feels right” — despite it conflicting with what one may actually want to be doing, such as being productive at work (Woolley & Sharif, 2022).

Studies conducted by the Clinical Psychology Department at NIMHANS revealed that overtime aimless scrolling behaviours can affect the quality of in-person interactions, increase isolation and lower the quality of interpersonal relationships (Yasmeen, 2024). Additionally, this “mindless scrolling syndrome” can disrupt the quality of cognitive processing, hamper productivity and reduce attention span — thus impacting one’s ability to be their optimal self in various social situations (Yasmeen, 2024).

The negative emotions that this phenomenon brings to the surface of one’s consciousness can significantly deteriorate their quality of life. Dumbphones thus appear to be an escape from overconsuming the continuous string of online content and the subsequent stress that it leads to, and may not be as dumb as they sound after all.

Really Dumb?

Dumbphones are restricted to minimal capabilities such as making calls, sending texts and basic navigation. These devices lack the sophisticated apps and features that we are so used to today and fulfil just the primary function of communication and navigation (Gyanchandani, 2024). A dumbphone lacks access to social media platforms, which is one of the prominent reasons for a sudden growing affinity towards it. It is believed that moving to dumbphones will significantly help curb mindless scrolling habits and reduce the adverse consequences of such smartphone usage on one’s well-being, productivity and interpersonal relationships (Gyanchandani, 2024).

Google’s search data reveals that there is a global surge in searching for information related to dumbphones in recent years. In fact, companies like Punkt and Light have intentionally rolled out phones with minimal features which are “designed to be used as little as possible” (Williams, 2024).

However, dumbphones may not be for everyone. Advanced features like improved cameras, fast charging, longer battery life and navigation are making it harder and harder to completely give up smartphones in the present times. Therefore, several users now prefer to take social media breaks and digital detoxes in an effort to curb excessive mobile scrolling and reduce distractions (Ahmed, 2023).

Irrespective of the tactic used, it is important to recognise mindless scrolling behaviours in oneself and take steps to curb them before it’s too late. Dumbphones and digital detoxes are slowly gaining popularity among Gen-Z in an attempt to reduce mindless scrolling and avoid its detrimental effects. These mindful lifestyle changes have the potential to break the vicious cycle of mindless scrolling that people find themselves stuck in today. Without constant access to social media platforms during the day, one may find themselves being more productive, engaging more in face-to-face interactions and generally feeling less stressed.

Choosing to embrace life with dumbphones and digital detoxes isn’t just about reducing daily screen time. Rather, it is about regaining control of how we choose to spend our time while balancing productivity and well-being in a rapidly digitalising age.

Authors: Prisha Khanna is Psychology undergraduate student and Dr. Moitrayee Das is Faculty of Psychology at FLAME University.