Following a surprising new trend, some college-aged Gen Zers are trading in their smartphones for flip phones. It’s becoming clear that many of us are getting fed up with social media and all that comes with it — and once the excitement of that first phone wears off and you realize the downsides of being tethered to modern technology, it’s understandable why some older teens are tucking away their smartphones and reverting to a less-connected existence.
While this new quasi-unplugged lifestyle isn’t for everyone, I’ve watched from afar as it has transformed the life of one of my best friends. Last summer, my friend Quinn’s iPhone died, and he quickly decided it would never be turned on again. For three months, he went completely off the grid, only using his MacBook when necessary to complete his freshman year of college. Soon, though, it became unrealistic as his friends and family grew anxious from the lack of communication. The solution: A $42 prepaid flip phone from Amazon that I bought him for his 19th birthday. He was granted the luxury of calling and texting, but would never have to worry about social media — or anything else that modern phone technology afforded him. A flip phone gave him all the safety and communication that comes with a regular phone — the ability to call friends, parents, and guardians — while letting him feel unplugged.
Almost a year later, he still loves it. Coming up on his first smartphone-free anniversary, I talked to Quinn about his unplugged lifestyle and the ups and downs of being a teen with a flip phone.
SheKnows: As you come up on your first full year of using a flip phone, talk about why you made the switch. How did the decision to ditch your iPhone come about?
Quinn: The switch started with my phone dying. I wasn’t spending time on my phone for a couple of days, and then I just realized it was much better. I liked it more, so I just stopped using my phone. Me getting rid of my phone wasn’t a statement about society; I just made a conscious effort to get rid of the number one stressor in my life. And now that I have, I’m living a considerably better life. I’m having a much better time. It’s hard for some people to understand, but it’s really not that complex. Phones aren’t good for people’s mental health.
When you go online, you see people having fun and doing things, and more than anything, it’s impossible not to compare your life with their lives, because everyone’s just so connected online. You see how everyone else looks, and you can see people hanging out without you — you can track other people’s locations on Snap maps — and people get FOMO that way. Not having a phone, I have a lot less of that feeling of being left out, and I don’t really compare myself to people online anymore. It reduces a lot of stress. Also, checking your phone constantly, texting people, and wondering when they’re going to text back? That’s another stress factor.
SK: What was it like going from using your phone all the time to never using it? Was that a smooth transition?
Quinn: For the first two weeks, I was so sick of [my phone] that I was actually really happy not being with it. And then after a month or two, I felt like I was missing out on what I was supposed to be seeing or hearing about. But after three months, I just accepted that this — a smartphone, social media, and all that stuff — is not something that’s a part of my life anymore. So now I’ve been completely fine without it. I don’t miss it at all.
SK: How does your flip phone affect your day-to-day routine?
Quinn: Well, I have a lot more free time. Like, a lot more free time. It’s definitely noticeable, especially during periods of the day where I have a lot of downtime, or even just a little bit of downtime. I used to spend that time on my phone, scrolling through social media or texting someone. Now I do something healthier, like make food, go to the gym, or just take a nap.
SK: What’s the biggest difference that you’ve noticed since you started using the flip phone? What are some of the benefits?
Quinn: I sleep. I don’t think I’ve ever slept better in my life, and I have no clue why. I sleep considerably better now, it’s awesome. And that’s probably the most noticeable thing, other than being less stressed out because of dumb social media stuff. Now I get happy about normal things. Like, just hanging out with friends is good enough. I don’t need to do anything crazy anymore. I’ve also just been much more aware of my surroundings. When I walk to class in the morning, I don’t need to listen to music; I’m just walking.
SK: What do you spend your free time doing now that you don’t have an iPhone?
Quinn: I don’t know why people think that because of my flip phone, I just have absolutely no way to entertain myself, but that’s the furthest thing from true. I don’t entertain myself with TikTok. I just do it with other things like watching TV or listening to music on my computer, or I can play games on a computer. I can still use technology, but without the social media aspect. It would be pretty extreme to say I’m rejecting technology, because I’m not. I use my computer all the time. But if I’m in public, my first instinct, instead of being to scroll on TikTok, is to just talk to someone or walk around, see what’s going on, and be more aware of my surroundings.
SK: What’s the most challenging part of not having an iPhone?
Quinn: I really don’t like QR codes. I guess the problem is not QR codes; I mean, if it saves people time, it’s good. The problem is when there’s no alternative. That’s really frustrating. Another big thing that is limiting with a flip phone is that I can’t look things up. Go throughout your whole day and think about how many times you look something up. I can’t do that at all.
SK: Do you feel left out because you don’t have a smartphone? Do you feel like you’re missing out on the news or popular trends?
Quinn: The first couple of months that I didn’t have a phone, I felt like I was missing out, but now I feel like I’m in on something that everyone else isn’t in on; I feel the opposite. I’m really happy that I’m missing out on news and TikTok trends. Most of the stuff I’m missing out on is things that anger people or make them sad. The stuff that I’m missing out on is not positive, so I really don’t mind.
SK: Would you recommend having a flip phone instead? Especially for younger teens?
Quinn: I think it truly depends on who the person is. If you’re a really stressed-out person, naturally, then having a flip phone could make you more stressed and wouldn’t help. For me, though, it has just made me genuinely happier.
For younger teens, it’s so hard to say, because I switched to a flip phone after I went to college and made all my friends. Honestly, I think it would be kind of a mistake for someone to go into college or high school into a situation where they need to make new friends or whatever. One of the ways I made new friends was on big group chats where everyone communicated on apps like Snapchat. If you’re really young, it’s going to be so hard to network and make connections if you don’t have an iPhone. I think it would be really limiting for them.
SK: Do you feel like the switch was worth it?
Quinn: It’s very much worth it, and I don’t regret anything. I think I’m having a better life, but I think that for a lot of people it wouldn’t be like that. I feel like some people would just have complete breakdowns if they did what I do. I do think it’s pretty crazy how reliant people are on phones now, and I think that a lot of people wouldn’t be able to live without a phone. And that’s a big problem.
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