Americans ditch smartphones for 'dumbphones' to stop doomscrolling

The average American spends 4.5 hours per day on their phones, eventually accumulating to 12 years worth of doomscrolling. Gen Z is said to be an even bigger culprit with a staggering 6.5 hours a day.

"You know, it's even bad to the point where 59 per cent are looking at their phones while they're in the bathroom, another 27 per cent are doing the dangerous act of texting while at stop lights," Allison Hadley, a spokesperson for Harmony Healthcare IT said. "Not only that, but 40 per cent said they wanted to cut down on their screen time in 2024 - although then again, 27 per cent want to, but don't think that they'll be able to succeed."

Well now, Americans are making the move to 'dumbphones' in an attempt to curb smartphone addiction. There are even companies dedicated to the cause, such as Dumbwireless that sells basic devices.

One woman shared her experience with the Daily Mail, candidly explaining how she spent her whole summer attached to her phone and wanted to make a change.

Caroline Cadwell said that while it took some getting used to, it eventually felt freeing.

"Space and time, is how I'd describe it. It's amazing how much your relationships can gain from giving it 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 did nothing. It was when I was nearly out of this time and feeling better that I started to reflect on what about my burnout was in my control, and the biggest contributing factor was a lack of boundaries with work," she continued.

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

"I think people are starting to tune in at a large scale about the perils of social media and smartphones--very few I think would argue that they're GOOD for us, 100 per cent, or that social media is ONLY good," she said.

"Is there room for more people to take more action? Absolutely, and we're starting to see that, but I think the younger generations will lead the way on having a different relationship with their smartphones from the get-go."

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