What is a dumb phone? Why should you care?

Privacy is dead, and social media holds the smoking gun, Pete Cashmore, Mashable CEO

I feel social media can be very distracting, unhealthy, and harmful to one’s self-confidence. I don’t even log on to it on my phone except when I post something on Instagram, Rupi Kaur

What is a dumb phone?

A dumb phone, dumbphone or feature phone, such as the Nokia 6300 4G, Nokia 2760 Flip, Nokia 225 or the Alcatel Go Flip 4, is a basic handset or mobile telephone that, unlike a smartphone, has very limited functionality. They are used mostly for making and receiving calls, and texting.

Some dumb phones may include a camera, a MP3 player, a wireless FM radio -a more battery efficient way of getting music-, a removable battery and even some video games. Futhermore, other dumb phones come with support for Facebook and WhatsApp, too.  

Why should you get a dumb phone?

Mobile technology, social media, and video games are very addictive. They can negatively affect academic performance, creativity, and productivity; damage, impoverish, and even destroy relationships, be life-draining, and they have been linked to poor sleeping habits, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, eating disorders, passive and sedentary lifestyle, and serious health issues.

Smartphones always want to grab your attention with endless notifications, alerts, updates, and breaking news. We are getting tired of the lack of privacy of social media, our fear of missing out and the need of constantly checking our social media feeds is overwhelming us, stressing us, basically it is leaving us feeling empty and unhappy, ruining our lives.

On the other side, a dumb phone offers a more minimalistic and simple approach. It is generally truly affordable and they don’t require data plans. Besides, they are easy to use and they are typically very robust, far less fragile than smartphones.

They offer simplicity, durability, and excellent battery life. Smartphones emit less radiation, too. They can help you to take back the control of your life and relationships, and force you to stop watching videos on video sharing sites (TikTok, YouTube), playing videogames, or scrolling social media (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook) for hours, so you can take your time and energy back and spend it on the things that really matter to you like exercising and outdoor activities, learning or working without distractions, achieving your goals and/or spending quality time with your family, romantic partners, and friends.

They allow us to fully concentrate on a single task and engage with it more purposefully, they help us to live a more peaceful and meaningful life. Besides, they are a perfect option for parents who want to give their offsprings a phone so they can remain in contact, but also want to limit and restrict their access to the Internet and social media.

If you want to keep under control your phone or social media addiction, one of your best bet is to switch to a dumb phone, as either your primary or backup phone.

Where is the catch? Are there any cons or disadvantages?

Of course, there is always a catch :-) and a but in this imperfect world. Life is messy, chaotic, and always full of small annoyances. Their camera usually stink. Texting on a dumb phone is somewhat of a pain. You will not be able to get iPhone or Samsung Galaxy-quality photos, not to mention videos, from a Nokia or Alcatel brick. They cannot compite with the latest smartphone (Apple, Samsung, Huawey, Google) when it comes to performance or functionality.

Smartphones are full of features, functionality, and apps. They allow us to make and receive phone calls and text messages; record, edit, watch, and share pictures and videos; browse the Internet; send and receive emails; listen to music, audiobooks, podcasts, and radio; play videogames; read ebooks, comics, and manga; scroll through our social media and news feeds; check the time, pay for groceries, dictate text messages, manage your calendar, watch Netflix, YouTube or TikTok, talk to a digital assistant, find an address with Google Maps, etc.