Okay, anybody who knows me is aware that if the topic has anything to do with technology, I am always very late to the party. There are “first movers,” and then there’s me: firmly, unapologetically a “last mover.”🤣
You may remember that I was one of the last people (quite possibly on Earth) to still own a flip phone, and had it not been for that fateful day when “Flip” passed away in a tragic accident (as described in this earlier post), I’d most likely STILL be using a flip phone!🤣🤣
As a result of Flip’s departure, I had no choice but to enter the world of smartphones. However, I must admit that I have no idea why they are called smartphones…I cannot find anything smart about them. Moreover, unlike a flip phone, smartphones don’t fit very securely into your pocket, and maybe that’s why they seem to constantly be getting lost or broken. Of course, I am constantly reminded by well-meaning friends and family members of the “tremendous benefits” of smartphones, such as the seemingly infinite number of apps (which I don’t need), the ability to stream (not sure what that is), and the ability to use “face filters” on Snapchat or some other new social media app (which I have no idea about).
Well, just when I had begun to wonder whether I may be missing out on something truly worthwhile, a friend sent me this article from the New Yorker: “The Dumbphone Boom is Real”
What do you know?! It seems that many people are beginning to ask whether spending so much time on these devices is really such a good idea. They’re beginning to suspect it might even be an unhealthy addiction…! (“I’m surprised you’re surprised!”)
As stated in the article, “a burgeoning cottage industry caters to beleaguered smartphone users desperate to escape their screens.” The author notes, “we lack the self-control to wean ourselves off, so we crave devices that actively prevent us from getting sucked into them.”
In another New Yorker article, “What it takes to put your phone away,” Cal Newport refers to a growing movement of “digital minimalism.”
Well, for me, it’s starting to feel like another installment of “Back to the Future:” At a recent party, my friends bought me a present – any guesses on what the slick new device is???
Say hello to my new Samsung Galaxy flip phone!!! 🤣😎
Header photo by Alexander Andrews on Unsplash
You are a visionary and way beyond the need for the need for a smartphone. Think “168”: the average teenager spends 7+ hours a day on social media. I don’t know how that can even be, but it is not a good sign. Full disclosure: I like the Maps feature on my phone.
Harry as a new member of the Grandfather Club (Congratulations!) you might read Jonathan Haidt’s new book The Anxious Generation strong case for keeping your grandchild away from smart phone until at least 16. Save your flip phone for children’s’ use for emergencies.
Yes, in a bit of irony: What once was…..is again!
Amen to the smart Dumbphone trend.