Adults and teens choose dumbbells to curb social media addiction

Adults and teenagers worried about their screen time are turning to “dumb” smartphone models.

Hidden in the settings of many smartphones is an option to see how much time you spend staring at your phone on average per day.

It can lead to the unsettling realization that what was supposed to be a useful technology has turned into an obsession.

“Social media is built around FOMO (fear of missing out), so I feel like I can’t get away from it,” Luke Martin, 16, from Canada, told the BBC.

“Once I got Instagram, it was a downward spiral.”

Luke is not alone.

According to a Harvard study, using social networking sites activates the same areas of the brain as when taking addictive substances. This has raised concerns about young people’s mobile phone habits.

In the UK, Ofcom research estimates that around a quarter of children aged five to seven now own their own smartphone.

Some studies have shown a link between social media use and negative effects on mental health, especially in children.

Some activists hope Smartphone usage age limit. Others, like Luke, choose to trade in their smartphones for simpler devices, so-called “dumb phones.”

His new phone only has text messages, calls, maps and a few other limited tools.

“I think my friend’s usage was about four to five hours, and before I got this, my usage was the same,” he said.

“Now I have about 20 minutes a day, which is really good because I only use it for what I need.”

Parents have also begun to use silent phones, not only for their children, but also to help themselves be more present with their families.

Lizzy Broughton, who has a five-year-old son, recently bought an old Nokia “flip” phone.

“It helped me readjust my habits and I spent more time with my son,” she explains.

When he needs his own phone, she says, she opts for a similar stripped-down model.

“It just didn’t feel like starting with a smartphone was the best idea,” she said. “It’s like we’re handing over the world, like trying to figure out how to navigate it.”

Sales of dumb phones have been growing in North America. At Dumbwireless in Los Angeles, owners Daisy Krigbaum and Will Stults serve customers looking for low-tech gadgets.

“We have a lot of parents who want to buy their children their first mobile phone. They don’t want their children to be addicted to the Internet,” he said.

But giving up your smartphone is easier said than done. Mr. Stutz said some schools require students to install certain apps. Ms Broughton said it was difficult for children to hold on when they saw their friends receiving expensive smartphones.

“This requires parents to really think about, what could we do differently?” she said.

One workaround is to use a device called “unpluq,” which allows you to wirelessly block certain apps, such as social media, by tapping it on your phone.

“Parents can use this tag to control their smartphone and monitor its usage,” Mr. Stults said.

There are now several phones developed specifically for users who want to avoid indulging in mindless scrolling.

Chris Kaspar founded Techless, a company that aims to develop an “intentionally boring” but stylish device that looks a lot like an iPhone. The latest version is called “Wisephone II”.

“It has no icons, just text, two colors and two fonts.” He described the place as “very peaceful, very peaceful.”

It will have some limited third-party tools, such as taxi app Uber, but no social media.

“We’re asking the question – what is actually good for us?” Mr Kasper said.

He originally developed the phone with his teenage adopted daughters in mind and says 25% of its sales are to children, but its target market is adults.

“If your phone is labeled as a children’s device, you’d be ashamed. So we made a very mature, sophisticated, Apple-esque, very good device,” he said.

With billions of dollars in revenue from app and social media advertising, big companies have no incentive to encourage different habits, he said.

Meanwhile, Canadian teen Luke says he plans to keep using his new device, much to the delight of his friends.

“They think it’s weird, but at this point, I don’t think it matters because it helps me a lot,” he said.

“It definitely puts me in a better situation now.”