A new trend has appeared on the Internet: today's young people are tired of depending on smartphones and have switched to "dumb" ones
What's going on with the "dumb" phone market?
HMD Global Oy is a Finnish company that develops and sells devices under the Nokia brand.Established in May 2016, announcing the buyout of part of the Microsoft Mobile business, and the successor to Nokia's mobile phone business.According to CNBC, sales of HMD Global's flip phones in the U.S. grew in 2022, with tens of thousands of such devices sold every month. At the same time, according to the company, global sales (i.e .e.worldwide) HMD push-button phones have declined.
According to Counterpoint Research, in 2022, almost 80% of push-button phone sales in 2022 came from the Middle East, Africa, and India. However, little by little, the statistics are changing as young people in the US return to minimalist gadgets. Experts predict that in the next five years, it will grow to 5%, if not more, based on existing public health concerns.
What problems are we talking about?
People are spending more and more time distracted by smartphones. Basically , users are "stuck" on social networks, mindlessly browsing profiles or absorbing contentAll of this has a serious impact on mental and physical well-being.Studies show that excessive use of technology is linked to depression, accidents, and even death.
An experiment conducted by the University of Greenwich, the University of East Anglia and the University of Westminster found that millennials are also tired ofSurvey participants aged 21 to 35reported being tired of being "constantly online", acknowledging the excessive use of smartphones in everyday life, and appreciatingDigital-free travel as an effective way to improve digital health.
Other U.S. researchers have found that smartphone users will be disappointed if they hope that gadgets and social networks will satisfy themtheir need for purpose and meaning. In fact, the opposite will happen. Overall, scientists have long spoken of links between digital devices and media use to feelings of loneliness, depression, unhappiness, suicidal thoughts, and other adverse mental health outcomes.
Is there any alternative?
Companies like Punkt and Light are following the "no-tech " trend by selling devices aimed at users who want tospend less time on social media or using a smartphone. On YouTube, you can find a lot of influencers who advertisesuch phones.
As company representatives explain, they“they are creating not a stupid, but a minimalistic phone that is not inherently anti-technology.” “It's about making conscious choices about how and when to use the aspects of technology that improve my quality of life,” explains Joe Hollier, co-founder of Light.
On the Light Phone manufacturers' websiteThey promise to "not offer social media, web browsing, or anxiety-inducing information flow" on their minimalist phones. However, they can be used as wireless access points and used as a music player or mapping application.
Now sales of Light have increased, as have their competitor is Punkt, according to a CNBC report. “It’s time to create healthier boundaries in our relationship with technology,” said Punkt founder and CEO Petter Neby.
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