Going Dumber for a Smarter Life: How switching to a dumbphone is slowly fixing my brain

It all started with a headache a few months ago. Not the kind caused by stress or a night out, but the kind that settles in after a day of mindless scrolling. A foggy, exhausted feeling I couldn’t quite shake. Lying in my bed, my head ringing, I caught myself juggling six apps in under a minute, aimlessly switching from YouTube to Instagram to Pinterest and back. And this was not a one-time occurrence. Although I had taken steps to limit my screen time, more often than not, I disregarded the limit I had set myself, or simply switched to my computer. And when I did not, I caught myself scrolling on LinkedIn, my mail app, or even the weather app. I wasn’t learning, enjoying, or communicating. I was just overwhelming my brain. Without the stimulation I was so used and addicted to, I felt a kind of numbness I did not want to feel. 

That night, something clicked. I realised how absurd it was, how long it had been since I had picked up and read a book for my own enjoyment. How long it had been since I had just sat alone with my thoughts, or made art. And that evening, I decided to switch to a dumbphone. Again. 

Zooming out from my personal experience, it is clear that this is not just about me. With over 7.1 billion smartphone users in the world (meaning more than 85% of the global population is connected), we can’t ignore that smartphones are, in many ways, indispensable tools. They let us work, navigate, communicate, and learn. But their ubiquity also requires that we examine how they're shaping us. Many studies warn about the negative impact that this can have on mental health, productivity, and privacy. Smartphone overuse has been linked  to anxiety, sleep disturbances, changes in brain structure, as well as with symptoms of depression and loneliness. And more and more people are realising that.

It is not the first time I made the switch. It has become a sort of cycle, one that seems to repeat itself every three years or so since I have owned my first  smartphone. But this time, I wanted a more lasting change because I understood it was impossible to reject technology altogether.  So I began searching for the right device. 

The search to find the perfect dumbphone was long. Naturally, I started by taking my dad’s old phone, which I had used all the previous times I had wanted to take up a dumbphone, the Nokia C3. However, relatively quickly, all the issues that made me go back to my convenient smartphone previously resurfaced. The phone was too old to handle WhatsApp, or to have a functioning internet connection to access my uni mailbox or a navigation app. I knew this could only be temporary. It is only when you switch to such a “retro” device that you realise how far technology has come and how convenient it makes your day-to-day life.

So I tried looking for an alternative online. Fortunately, I am not the only one looking for a dumbphone. The term “dumbphone” has indeed made a comeback. In 2024, Google searches for the word hit an all-time high, and consumer reports more than a quarter of Gen-Zers and Millenials were interested in acquiring one. This meant that there are plenty of YouTube videos comparing this and that dumbphone, vlogging what it is like to live with one, or offering advice. 

Different models stood out to me. The TTFone TT970 was a fliphone that has WhatsApp, Maps, an internet connection, and some way to put on music.  The Cat S22 is an Android flip phone, meaning there would be all the necessary apps on it. Nostalgia also drew me to BlackBerrys. However, all of these models were either not available, too expensive, or already obsolete. After that, I found what seemed to be the ideal phone: the Nokia 6300 4G. It had WhatsApp, Google Maps, the possibility to download music, as well as 4G, Bluetooth and a Hotspot. So I ordered it. It arrived safely, but the excitement wore off quickly when I realised I had been scammed. The phone I received was an unofficial copy without an actual operating system. I did some digging, and this was quite frequent. Other people had also received essentially useless phones that could barely reach any service. Honestly, I was a bit discouraged. But I sent it back and kept searching. 

And that is when I stumbled upon the phone that would become mine: the Qin F21 Pro. People online were praising it. At first, I was skeptical: it is not a “true” dumbphone. It has a small touchscreen and all the apps one might need if ordered with the Google system pre-installed. But I soon realised this hybrid design was actually its strength: the screen is too small, the storage too limited, and the processing time too slow to be scrolling-friendly. It gave me just enough, and not anything more. 

It arrived quickly, and I was happy again. This phone was less of a compromise than the Nokia. The main thing I had to (re-)learn was to write with a keyboard, where you have to click multiple times to get the letter you want. I also had to get used to not being able to constantly take pictures, and listen to less music because the earphone's port is a little wonky. I had to get along with judging, or fascinated looks. And I had to learn how to get on with slower technology again. 

But that is the story of how I switched from an average phone screen-time of 6 hours per day to (around) 30 minutes per day. And I did not replace the rest with computer screen time, but with doing everything I had missed. It is almost as if I did not know what to do with my time anymore. I picked up my digital camera again, re-discovered my CDs, actually used my physical wallet for the first time in ages. My transition has been a little clumsy at times, and occasionally frustrating, but it’s also been one of the smartest decisions I’ve ever made.

So, should you switch to a dumbphone too? Admittedly, it is not for everyone. If your work or hobbies depend on messaging channels, real-time notifications, designing and editing, or running social media accounts, switching to a dumbphone might be impractical or even impossible.  But for anyone feeling digitally exhausted, it can be a powerful way to reclaim focus and peace of mind. I believe we were not made to be reachable 24/7, to lose friendships over social media codes, or to live vicariously through a little device’s camera. 

That said, switching is not easy, not simply because it can be emotionally difficult, but because the right tools barely exist. As my story shows, it is incredibly frustrating to realise that there is demand for dumbphones that are “smart enough” to not completely cut you off from society, and yet, very few companies are making them. If someone designed a phone that covered today’s basics (messaging apps like WhatsApp, navigation, music, a banking app, and an internet connection for things like university logins) without the infinite-scroll design of social media, people would buy it. A lot of us don’t want to reject tech altogether, we just want tech that respects our attention. 

Right now, most dumbphones are either too “dumb” to function in today’s world, or too expensive and niche to be accessible. The in-between is shockingly absent from mainstream markets, and that absence speaks volumes. It is as if the industry profits too much from our distraction to offer us better alternatives. Because technology is not neutral and will never be. It is built to capture our attention, and it is incredibly good at doing it. Platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram make billions in revenue through business models that depend on keeping users engaged for as long as possible, competing to keep your attention longer than the next platform. What better tool for them, in an attention economy, than a little device through which their platform is accessible 24/7, with bright colours and a user-friendly interface? 

Still the switch is possible. But it isn't a magic fix, and it certainly should not become yet another lifestyle trend to aspire to blindly. That is why it is essential to stay critical, even of the “digital minimalism” movement itself. There is no denying the growing online narrative that glorifies disconnection as inherently superior, is often framed in aesthetic or elitist terms. But the goal should never be to swap one dogma for another. It is not about being better or cooler than others. It is rather about awareness and intentionality: making informed, honest choices about how and why we engage with technology. What matters is not what you give up, but what you make space for. 

Whether you switch to a dumbphone, or simply try a weekend offline, or just delete that one app that eats your time, the real shift happens when you start using tech with purpose. I switched to a dumbphone to escape the noise and constant stimulation, and in doing so, I found a little more clarity. I am happy to report that my phone no longer runs my life. You do not have to make the switch like I did, but if you feel overwhelmed, I hope you will take the time to ask yourself if your precious device is actually helping you live better, or if it is just making you live faster. 

Because sometimes, going dumber really is the smartest move you can make.