Unveiled: Why Gen Z are switching from iPhones to traditional ‘flip phones’

Young people across the world are known for their obsessive relationships with their phones, spending many hours each day glued to their screens.

Some young individuals from Generation Z are rebelling against technology and are choosing to switch to ‘dumb phones’ instead. They believe that taking a break from digital devices is essential for enhancing their mental well-being.

These simplistic phones offer a limited selection of features, helping users cut down on screen time and enjoy a more straightforward mobile experience centered around basic functions like calls and texts.

With their extended battery longevity and sturdy construction, iconic models like Nokia, Samsung, and Doro from the early 2000s are regaining popularity among users seeking a more minimalist and durable device choice.

Many on social media have hailed the benefits of using a flip phone to reduce ‘micro-anxieties’, be more present and even avoid sending embarrassing texts on nights out.  

TikTok user @iamcrispynugget, from the US, took on a 30-day challenge to use a dumb phone – or flip phone – as part of a ‘dopamine diet’ to ‘reset my brain’s relationship with dopamine and satisfaction’.

‘The goal is to quieten down my brain and regain the ability to sit still and be present,’ he said.

Having looked through the data on their device, the social media user discovered he had been picking up their phone on average 160 times a day – the equivalent to once every six minutes.

Gen Z are ditching their beloved smart phones for old-school ‘flip phones’ – or ‘dumb phones’. Pictured: One TikToker shows off their new phone 

‘It would be no surprise if my phone was the reason that I’m unable to focus or experience a lot of unexplained shifts in my mood.’

He soon admitted he’d found the first week ‘incredibly tough’, quickly realising the difficulty of a life without Google Maps and email.

‘I also had to start carrying all the things my phone had replaced like my wallet and keys with me constantly,’ he said. 

‘And most importantly, I couldn’t use my phone to escape social situations like a long train ride, if someone was chewing super loudly next to me, or an awkward elevator ride.’

He said he even experienced ‘withdrawals’ during the first week and would forget to bring things like cash and other belongings now accessed through smartphones. 

But by the third week, he found that using the flip phone had eradicated his ‘micro-anxieties’ caused by current events and social media notifications. Further, his ‘focus and sense of presence’ had drastically improved. 

Others have offered similar justifications for the detox, insisting the only way for then to reduce their phone usage was cut out all potential for app use.

Another TikToker, Mia, said she wanted to ‘cut down my social media consumption and use it more consciously’. 

And while technology is rapidly becoming more advanced, a number of Gen Z have vowed to turn in their tech-savvy devices in favour of now antiquated ‘dumbphones’, citing the need for digital detoxes to improve their ‘mental health’

Others have offered similar justifications for the detox, insisting the only way for then to reduce their phone usage was cut out all potential for app use

Notorious for the super long battery life and unbreakable designs, a number of Nokia, Samsung and Doro phones from the early 2000s have been dredged from the bottoms of wardrobes and fired up again

Many on social media have hailed the benefits of using a flip phone to reduce ‘micro-anxieties’, be more present and even avoid sending embarrassing texts on nights out

‘I realised that not using so much social media is benefiting me and my wellbeing,’ she said after a week trialing her flip phone. 

But it’s not all just about detoxing for mental health. In 2023, one American TikToker, Sammy K, amassed millions of views on a video where she announced she would only ever be going on nights out with a flip phone.

Her reasoning for the decision was that every time she went out with friends, their phones were the only ever reason they would end up having a bad night.

‘One of our friends doesn’t get on her phone at all when she’s on a night out and she always has a wonderful – she’s always in the present, she always finds friends, it’s just such a better experience,’ she said. 

In a video revealing other people’s reaction to the flip phone, she said: ‘First of all, people think it’s so f***ing cool.’

While most older devices don’t come with a camera, Sammy’s particular model had one installed meaning she could also take low-resolution pictures on the night – but couldn’t be tempted by Snapchat or Instagram. 

‘I learned that you literally don’t need your phone. I would go out with my friends with a buddy system and bring my flip phone, my ID and my credit card and I was literally set for the entire night.’

‘I was always able to call my friends if I was in a pinch or anything, I was able to contact them and they were able to contact me.

But using the flip phones does come with a price, with much of world now reliant on their devices to navigate new places, pay for things and even login to their work emails

Writing for Metro , one journalist who trialled a retro pink Barbie flip phone complained of not being able to use their authenticator app to access work accounts and ‘being unable to get literally anywhere without Google maps’

‘Overall I learned that this is such a good conversation starter, the pictures are even better than on my regular phone and that you do not need your phone,’ she concluded. 

Sammy said the switch to using a flip phone on nights out and even become a permanent fixture in her life and that she would ‘never go back’. 

Elsewhere, many have taken to decorating their flip phones, bedazzling them with gems, stickers and charms in a bid to make them look more vintage and of the noughties era.

But using the flip phones does come with a price, with much of world now reliant on their devices to navigate new places, pay for things and even login to their work emails.

Writing for Metro, one journalist who trialled a retro pink Barbie flip phone complained of not being able to use their authenticator app to access work accounts and ‘being unable to get literally anywhere without Google maps.’ 

The phone they tested was described as a ‘vacay for your smartphone’, with the product description encouraging people to ‘spend real time together’, without any ‘distracting apps’. 

Despite the proud claims, the journalist was convinced and concluded that ‘this phone just doesn’t work for everyday use.’