The Growing Appeal of Smartphone Disconnection

The toxicity of social media, the addiction to screens, and the increasing desire by many to walk away from it all

This weekend I was watching Aziz Ansari’s new Netflix standup comedy special (it was very funny, you should probably watch it). And towards the end of his set, Aziz decided to call out his phone. It was a flip phone, which in 2022 is something incredibly jarring to see. The point that he was making about this resonated as a commentary about a society that has become addicted to its screens and apps, and going with a flip phone was the resistance to this trend.

The idea of abandoning the smartphone for something that feels ironically vintage is something that does not seem reasonable at first glance. But when you peel back the layers and think about the impact that smartphones have had on us societally in terms of attention, availability, and connection, there is a case for having a device that doesn’t keep you connected at all times. Furthermore, it brings about the notion of using your phone less, for your own sanity.

The Screen Time Dilemma