Dumbphone, quesaco?
Did you know the T9?
On this keyboard that was fitted to mobile phones in the 2000s, you type three times on the same key to obtain the desired letter… With that, you need a good reason to send an SMS!
A dumbphone is a phone that calls… and that's (almost) everything.
Whether it's a vintage model (like the world's best-selling Nokia 3310, recently relaunched by the brand) or a modern model (like the minimalist Light Phone, with a polished design), the interest of the dumbphone lies in its disconnection.
No more scrolling on Instagram… but also the facilities offered by GPS or banking apps.
If some dumphones are connected, their ergonomics do not facilitate this use.
Read alsoStiffness, painful neck... You probably suffer from "texting neck" syndrome
In video, women in digital: the key figures
Why adopt it?
Most people who take the plunge aim for a digital detox.
The objective: to regain the ability to mobilize endogenous attention (that which one directs by choice, in a controlled manner), by freeing oneself from exogenous attention (mobilized by external solicitations).
Some also do it for ecological reasons: running servers to check your e-mails while waiting for the bus is a no-no!
Others, finally, want to get off the radar of Gafam, the digital giants.
Whatever the reasons, more and more people are choosing a dumbphone: today, in the UK, one in ten adults would use one!
In practice
Max runs a small business of twelve people.
He gave up his smartphone last year.
"I wanted to free myself from addiction, he explains, this reflex that made me unlock my phone as soon as I had five minutes free!"
For this father of four, it was also about being consistent.
"It's hard to tell my kids they don't need a smartphone if I'm screwed on it myself," he concedes.
He has therefore replaced his GPS with a little anticipation, and consults the route from his computer before leaving for an appointment.
As for his e-mails, they await his return to the office.
Jacques has also switched part of his mobile usage to his computer.
After dropping his smartphone for a while, this journalist opted for an intermediate solution:
two phones, a “dumb” for his personal life, and a “smart” for his professional life, with five apps.
It allows him to generate his train tickets, to facilitate his online payments, to establish a connection sharing for his computer.
Basic !
“I no longer get caught up in social networks, I took a step back: it's very satisfying,” he rejoices.
To start
To separate yourself from the smartphone, identify the uses that you will miss the most (music, the alarm clock, the diary?) and find the replacement solutions: a camera, a nice paper diary... Do not hesitate to talk about it around about you: those around you will quickly lose the habit of sending you photos or contacting you by WhatsApp.
Finally, don't get rid of your brand new iPhone right away: start by putting it away in a drawer, and set a test period (a few days, a few weeks) to take stock of your usage.
It would be a shame to have to buy a smartphone!
