Americans Ditch Smartphones for ‘Dumbphones’ to Stop Doomscrolling

The average American spends 4.5 hours a day on their phone, which is 12 years of doomscrolling. Gen Z is said to be even more guilty at 6.5 hours a day.

“It’s gotten even worse, with 59% of people looking at their phones while on the toilet and 27% engaging in the dangerous act of texting at red lights,” said Allison Hadley, spokesperson for Harmony Healthcare IT. “Additionally, 40% said they want to reduce their screen time by 2024, while 27% want to but don’t think they will be able to.”

Today, Americans are turning to “dumbphones” in an attempt to curb their smartphone addiction. Some companies are even dedicated to the cause, like Dumbwireless, which sells basic devices.

A woman shared her experience with the Daily Mailcandidly explaining how she spent her entire summer glued to her phone and wanted to make a change.

Caroline Cadwell said that although it took some getting used to, it ended up being liberating.

“Space and time, that’s how I would describe it. It’s amazing how much your relationships can benefit from giving that up,” she said, adding that she spent three months in what she described as “zombie mode.”

“It was summer and I barely remember it, I didn’t do anything. It was when I was almost done with that period and feeling better that I started to think about what was in my control regarding my burnout, and the biggest contributing factor was the lack of boundaries with work,” she continued.

Inspired by this shift, Cadwell launched UnPluq, a tool designed to lock down apps and encourage people to use their phones less frequently.

“I think people are starting to wake up to the dangers of social media and smartphones on a large scale. I think very few would say that they are 100% GOOD for us, or that social media is ONLY good,” she said.

“Is it possible that more people will take action? Absolutely, and we’re starting to see that, but I think the younger generations will lead the way by adopting a different relationship with their smartphone from the start.”

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