Losing a phone is usually a headache, forcing you to spend hundreds of dollars on a replacement and endure the tedious process of logging back into banking apps and social media. But for 28-year-old bar manager Robbie*, it became an opportunity to abandon smartphones altogether. He says it was one of the best decisions he has ever made.
The rise of the dumbphone
Robbie is part of a growing trend of Australians switching to 'dumbphones' to escape the constant barrage of notifications and distractions from modern technology. These devices, reminiscent of phones from the 2000s and early 2010s, lack touch screens, internet connectivity, and social media apps.
Robbie told 7NEWS.com.au that modern conveniences were causing him to lose touch with reality. Losing his phone at a music festival provided the perfect chance to try something new. 'How I was living my life was actively frustrating me,' he said, describing himself as a 'slave' to his smartphone. 'When you have a smartphone, it feels like it's attached to your hip. Every spare second, I would pull out my phone and reply, reply, reply.'
He noted that an addiction to scrolling apps like TikTok and Instagram reduced his creativity and willingness to leave the house.
A flip phone for a fraction of the cost
Robbie opted for a flip phone, costing a fraction of a new branded smartphone. He still accessed social media via his laptop but eliminated constant notifications at home or on the go. 'I loved it; it made life so much better,' he said. 'I was blissfully offline. My brain was more centred, focused, and less anxious.'
Despite being disconnected from the wider world and instant messaging, he felt more connected to his immediate surroundings. 'I felt way more present... like when I was a kid,' he recalled.
The middle ground
However, Robbie's job required apps like WhatsApp to manage bar staff, which became difficult without a smartphone. After several months, he returned to a second-hand smartphone but with a new approach to avoid falling back into old habits. 'When I got the smartphone back, I kind of resented it,' he said. 'So I did some things to make sure it wasn't the same device I was addicted to.'
He now uses a single SIM card for both phones, using the smartphone only when necessary, and refuses to personalise it. 'My old phone had everything colour-coded and named with distractor apps downloaded. I just didn't do any of that stuff,' he explained. 'It is functionally a phone. It has text, call, and Facebook Messenger, but nothing I can scroll with.'
These changes mean he no longer spends excessive time on his phone. 'I'm really happy with that middle ground. I feel like I preserved a bit of what I had with the flip phone and still feel more present and in control of my time,' he said.
Robbie advises anyone considering disconnecting to 'destroy it' and quit cold turkey, as it reveals the true extent of phone addiction.
* Surname withheld for privacy reasons.
