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Atlantic
17-05-2025
- General
- Atlantic
A Phone That Blocks All of the Bad Stuff
On a recent commute to work, I texted my distant family about our fantasy baseball league, which was nice because I felt connected to them for a second. Then I switched apps and became enraged by a stupid opinion I saw on X, which I shouldn't be using anymore due to its advanced toxicity and mind-numbing inanity. Many minutes passed before I was able to stop reading the stupid replies to the stupid original post and relax the muscles of my face. This is the duality of the phone: It connects me to my loved ones, and sometimes I think it's ruining my life. I need it and I want it, but sometimes I hate it and I fear it. Many people have to navigate this problem—and it may be at its worst for parents, who've recently been drowned in media suggesting that smartphones and social media might be harming their children's mental health, but who also want their kids to enjoy technology's benefits and prepare themselves for adult life in a digital age. It was with this tension in mind that I rode a train last week to the town of Westport, Connecticut. There, a parent-led group called OK to Delay had organized an 'Alternative Device Fair' for families who wanted to learn about different kinds of phones that were intentionally limited in their functionality. (There would be no frowning at X with these devices, because most of them block social media.) Similar bazaars have been popping up here and there over the past year, often in the more affluent suburbs of the tristate area. Westport's fair, modeled after an event held last fall in Rye, New York, was set up in a spacious meeting room in the most immaculate and well-appointed public library I've ever seen. When I arrived, about 30 minutes after the start of the four-hour event, it was bustling. The chatter was already at a healthy, partylike level. The tables set up around the room each showed off a different device. One booth had a Barbie-branded flip phone; another was offering a retro-styled 'landline' phone called the Tin Can. But most of the gadgets looked the same—generic, rectangular smartphones. Each one, however, has its own special, restricted app store, and a slew of parental-control features that are significantly more advanced than what would have been available only a few years ago. One parent showed me her notepad, on which she was taking detailed notes about the minute differences among these phones; she planned to share the information with an online group of parents who hadn't been able to come. Another mom told me that she'd be asking each booth attendant how easy it would be for kids to hack the phone system and get around the parent controls—something you can see kids discussing openly on the internet all the time. A couple of years ago, I explored the 'dumb phone' trend, a cultural curiosity about returning to the time before smartphones by eschewing complex devices and purchasing something simpler and deliberately limited. One of the better phones I tried then was the Light Phone II, which I disliked only because it was so tiny that I constantly feared that I would break or lose it. At the library, I chatted with Light Phone's Dan Fox, who was there to show people the latest version of the device. The Light Phone III is larger and thicker and has a camera, but it still uses a black-and-white screen and prohibits web browsing and social-media apps. He told me that it was his third alternative-device event in a week. He'd also been to Ardsley, a village in New York's Westchester County, and to the Upper East Side, in Manhattan. He speculated that kids like the Light Phone because it doesn't require all the rigmarole about filters and settings and parents. It was designed for adults, and therefore seems cool, and was designed in Brooklyn, which makes it seem cooler. (Fox then left early to go to a Kendrick Lamar concert with his colleagues.) The crowded room in Westport was reflective of the broad concern about the effect that social media may have on children and teenagers. But it was also a very specific expression of it. Explaining the impetus for hosting the marketplace, Becca Zipkin, a co-founder of the Westport branch of OK to Delay, told me that it has become the standard for kids in the area to receive an iPhone as an elementary-school graduation present. One of her group's goals is to push back on this ritual and create a different culture in their community. 'This is not a world in which there are no options,' she said. The options on display in Westport were more interesting than I'd thought they were going to be. They reflected the tricky balancing act parents face: how to let kids enjoy the benefits of being connected (a chess game, a video call with Grandma, a GPS route to soccer practice, the feeling of autonomy that comes from setting a photo of Olivia Rodrigo as your home-screen background) and protect them from the bad stuff (violent videos, messages from creeps, the urge to endlessly scroll, the ability to see where all of your friends are at any given time and therefore be aware every time you're excluded). Pinwheel, an Austin-based company, demonstrated one solution with a custom operating system for Android phones such as the Google Pixel that allows parents to receive alerts for 'trigger words' received in their kids' texts, and lets them read every message at any time. As with most of the others demonstrated at the fair, Pinwheel's custom app store made it impossible for kids to install social media. During the demo, I saw that Pinwheel also blocked a wide range of other apps, including Spotify—the booth attendant told me and a nearby mom that the app contains 'unlimited porn,' a pronouncement that surprised both of us. (According to him, kids put links to porn in playlist descriptions; I don't know if that's true, but Spotify did have a brief problem with porn appearing in a small number of search results last year.) The app for the arts-and-crafts chain Michaels was also blocked, for a similar but less explicit reason: A red label placed on the Michaels app advised that it may contain a loophole that would allow kids to get onto unnamed other platforms. (Michaels didn't respond to my request for comment, and Spotify declined comment.) Beyond the standard suite of surveillance tools, many of the devices are also outfitted with AI-powered tools that would preemptively censor content on kids' phones: Nudity would be blurred out and trigger an alert sent to a parent, for instance; a kid receiving a text from a friend with a potty mouth would see only a series of asterisks instead of expletives. 'The constant need to be involved in the monitoring of an iPhone is very stressful for parents,' Zipkin told me, referring to the parental controls that Apple offers, which can become the focus of unceasing negotiation and conflict between kids and their guardians. That is part of these alternative devices' marketing. Pinwheel highlights the helping hand of AI on its website: 'Instead of relying on parents to manually monitor every digital interaction (because who has time for that?), AI-driven tech is learning behaviors, recognizing risks, and proactively keeping kids safe.' The story was similar at other tables. Gabb, a Lehi, Utah, company, offers a feature that automatically shuts down video calls and sends notifications to parents if it detects nudity. The AI still needs some work—it can be triggered by, say, a person in a bathing suit or a poster of a man with his shirt off, if they appear in the background of the call. Gabb also has its own music app, which uses AI and human reviewers to identify and block songs with explicit language or adult themes. 'Taylor Swift is on here, but not all of Taylor Swift's music,' Lori Morency Kun, a spokesperson for the company, told me. At the next booth, another Utah-based company, Troomi, was demoing a system that allows parents to set content filters for profanity, discussions of violence, and 'suggestive' chitchat, on a sliding scale depending on their kid's age. The demonstrator also showed us how to add custom keywords to the system that would also be blocked, in case a parent feels that the AI tools are not finding everything. ('Block harmful content BEFORE it even has the chance to get to your kiddo!' reads a post on the company's chipper Instagram account.) Across the room, Bark, an Atlanta-based company that started with a parental-control app and then launched its own smartphone, offered yet another nice-looking slab with similar features. This one sends alerts to parents for 26 possible problems, including signs of depression and indications of cyberbullying. I posed to the booth attendant, Chief Commercial Officer Christian Brucculeri, that a kid might joke 100 times a day about wanting to kill himself without having any real suicidal thoughts, an issue Brucculeri seemed to understand. But false positives are better than missed negatives, he argued. Bark places calls to law enforcement when it receives an alert about a kid threatening to harm themselves or others, he told me, but those alerts are reviewed by a human first. 'We're not swatting kids,' he said. Although everybody at the library was enormously polite, there is apparently hot competition in the alternative-device space. Troomi, for instance, markets itself as a 'smarter, safer alternative to Pinwheel.' Pinwheel's website emphasizes that its AI chatbot, PinwheelGPT, is a more useful tool than Troomi's chatbot, Troodi—which Pinwheel argues is emotionally confusing for children, because the bot is anthropomorphized in the form of a cartoon woman. Bark provides pages comparing each of these competitors, unfavorably, with its own offering. Afterwards, Zipkin told me that parents had given her varied feedback on the different devices. Some of them felt that the granular level of monitoring texts for any sign of emotional distress or experimental cursing was over-the-top and invasive. Others were impressed, as she was, with some of the AI features that seem to take a bit of the load off of parents who are tired of constant vigilance. Despite all the negative things she'd personally heard about artificial intelligence, this seemed to her like a way it could be used for good. 'Knowing that your kids won't receive harassing or bullying material or sexual images or explicit images, or anything like that, is extremely attractive as a parent,' she told me. 'Knowing that there's technology to block that is, I think, amazing.' Of course, as every parent knows, no system is actually going to block every single dangerous, gross, or hurtful thing that can come in through a phone from the outside world. But that there are now so many alternative-device companies to choose from is evidence of how much people want and are willing to search for something that has so far been unattainable: a phone without any of the bad stuff.
IOL News
13-05-2025
- IOL News
The return of dumb phones: adults and teens ditch easy internet access for mental health
More and more adults (and teens) are choosing a radical solution: they're swapping their smartphones for simple 'dumbphones' devices that call and text, and little else. Image: Leo Arslan/Pexels Have you ever caught yourself mindlessly scrolling for hours, only to wonder where your evening went? Or you glance up from your phone and realise you missed an entire conversation? You're not alone. It's almost impossible to function in modern society without some form of technology. From work emails to social invitations, our lives are deeply intertwined with our devices. But now, more and more adults (and teens) are choosing a radical solution: they're swapping their smartphones for simple 'dumbphones' devices that call and text, and little else. This isn't just a quirky trend - it's a growing global movement toward digital minimalism and mindful living. Models like the iconic Nokia 3310 and the minimalist Light Phone II are flying off the shelves. According to a 2023 report by Counterpoint Research, sales of feature phones (non-smartphones) grew by 5% in North America alone, led mostly by adults seeking relief from digital overwhelm. Schools have even begun encouraging or requiring students to use dumbphones during the day, citing improvements in focus, behaviour, and social interaction. For example, last year, for Mental Health Awareness Month, Holy Rosary School for Girls in Johannesburg took a bold step towards enhancing mental well-being and child development by launching an innovative 80-day smartphone abstinence challenge, aptly dubbed "80 Days: Phone Like It's 1999". In everyday life, workplaces are starting to support employees who choose digital detox strategies, recognising the link between reduced screen time and enhanced productivity. In everyday life, workplaces are starting to support employees who choose digital detox strategies, recognising the link between reduced screen time and enhanced productivity. Image: Afif Ramdhasuma/Pexels Why are people making the switch? Escaping the social media trap We all know the feeling: you open Instagram 'just for a minute' and suddenly 45 minutes have vanished. A study from Harvard University found that social networking activates the same reward centres in the brain as addictive substances. This neurological response can lead to compulsive behaviours, making it hard to put the phone down even when we want to. Mental health matters Multiple studies point to a connection between heavy screen time and increased anxiety, depression, and loneliness, particularly among young adults. For many, switching to a dumbphone is a way to break the cycle. Switching to a dumbphone can help break the cycle of comparison and FOMO (fear of missing out) triggered by social media. According to the Royal Society for Public Health, limiting screen time can reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. Reclaiming real-world connection Humans are wired for connection. Yet, as we spend more time on screens, our in-person relationships can suffer. The 'dumbphone revolution' is about more than nostalgia; it's about learning to be present again. Adults are reporting improved relationships, deeper conversations, and more engagement with friends and family after making the switch. The growing embrace of dumbphones is also being celebrated by mental health professionals and wellness advocates. suggests that even a brief 'digital detox' can help reset your relationship with technology, reduce anxiety, and improve well-being. For many, a weekend without social media is the first step toward a healthier, more intentional life. Improved sleep Blue light from screens can interfere with our natural sleep cycles. By limiting phone use, especially at night, dumbphone users often report falling asleep faster and enjoying deeper, more restorative rest. Without endless notifications and app distractions, people often find it easier to concentrate at work and home. A study published in Computers in Human Behaviour found that participants who limited phone use reported significantly better focus and memory retention. Better relationships Face-to-face conversations are deeper and more meaningful without the constant interruption of phones. Parents find themselves more present with their children, partners report increased intimacy, and friends enjoy richer social experiences. Rediscovering boredom and creativity When you remove the option to fill every idle moment with scrolling, you make space for new hobbies, creative thinking, and even boredom, which psychologists say is essential for personal growth and innovation. If the thought of being without your smartphone feels scary, you're not alone. That's exactly why so many people are leaping. Maybe it starts with a weekend digital detox, or just putting your phone down during dinner. Small steps can lead to big changes.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Yahoo
The minimalist Light Phone III is officially available for purchase
Light, the company behind a pair of minimalist handsets, just released the Light Phone III. This is the perfect device for those who are tired of modern smartphones, with their easy access to doomscrolling and their abundance of wonky AI tools. The Light Phone III features a sleek black-and-white OLED display, which is a new design element. The previous models included e-paper screens. The big draw, however, is not what this phone has but what it doesn't have. There are no third-party apps. There's no access to social media, the internet or even email. It's intended to be, first and foremost, a phone. It's not completely bare. This model includes an embedded NFC chip for making payments, a bare-bones music player, a podcast player, a messaging app, a flashlight, voice notes, a calendar, a timer and an alarm. It also includes a simple camera system that was inspired by point-and-shoot models. There's a two-step shutter button with center focus and a fixed focal length. The company calls it 'genuinely fun.' The Light Phone III has a navigation app, which is likely the most useful part of modern smartphones, but with a twist. The company paid for private access to navigational information, so Google won't get ahold of any tracking data. Other specs include 6GB of RAM, up from 1GB in the Light Phone II, 128GB of memory and a newer Qualcomm chip. It includes a fingerprint ID on the power button, a USB-C port and some loudspeakers at the bottom. The battery is also user-replaceable, which is a huge bonus. It's larger than previous generations and I find it to be pretty cute. It's around the width of a modern iPhone, but much shorter. This was on purpose, the company says, to make it easier to text while holding it vertically. There is a spot of bad news here. The Light Phone III costs $800, which dwarves the price of the second-gen model. It was available for much cheaper as a pre-order bonus, but those days are gone.
Forbes
27-03-2025
- Forbes
Light Phone III Shipping Now To Earliest Pre-Orders
Light Phone III interface Light Your smartphone is making you crazy. In the past decade, I've noticed a general increase in anxiety and anxiousness. And while, yes, the past 10 years have been culturally fraught, there's a more personal reason for the uptick and it's probably in your hand right now. Your smartphone has you locked into an endless cycle of waiting for yet another alert to pull your attention back to your phone for something that has to be dealt with immediately (whether the need is actually immediate or not). And when you're not waiting for an update, you're scrolling to try and give yourself a dopamine boost that calms your constantly triggered brain. It's an endless, harmful cycle. That's why Light Phone III captured my attention when pre-orders opened last year. The company describes it as: "…a simple, refined and anti-dopamine hijacking technological convenience that you can trust…designed to give you the tools to flourish as the most thoughtful & intentional version of yourself.' The idea of a premium "dumbphone" that had gorgeous hardware paired with a minimalistic operating system to encourage not spending time endlessly scrolling on your phone seemed like the kind of thoughtful tech we need more of. The idea is taking off as well, if you look extremely closely you'll see a Light Phone II in Kendrick Lamar's 'Not Like Us" video. That limited edition version, sold by Lamar's pgLang burned through all 250 units almost immediately. Let's face it, you're addicted to your smartphone. It doesn't matter if it's Android or iOS, chances are you spend at least some of your day locked into scrolling through social media. At the very least, you're at the mercy of updates and alerts that push you to open apps, pulling your focus from whatever you're doing. Putting it another way, apps are the enemy. It's an oft-spoken, but accurate, axiom that "if something is free, you're the product." Most of the apps we download, even those with a nominal fee, are making their money off your attention. They're serving up ads and recording how you interact with their software for optimization and to develop more engaging features. For example, there's a reason that Meta is a trillion-dollar company and their core product is completely free. They've figured out how to monetize your eyeballs (not literally…not yet). And that's not even getting into how we're raising a generation that expects nothing less than 24/7 access and engagement (literally, just check my daughter's overnight phone activity). Light has gone so far as to partner with the Buxton School to provide Light Phone II devices to students and faculty—allowing them to stay connected without compromising their attention. So we need to take our attention off the market and re-invest in ourselves. But we also need to stay connected (and maybe listen to some music and take a few pictures). Light Phone III does just that. It keeps you connected with the people you actually want to connect with in a way that you choose. In addition to calls and messaging, Light OS ships with Alarm, Calculator, Calendar, Directory, Directions, Hotspot, Music, Notes/Voice Memo, Podcast and Timer apps. That's it. Light Phone boils down and concentrates what a phone is meant to do—keep you connected, help you get where you're going, and provides some basic audio entertainment and utilities. Matte and minimalistic LIght With a matte finish, the aluminum, glass, and recycled plastic (for the battery cover and speaker grille) enclosure has a gorgeous matte OLED touchscreen, a 50m rear camera (with a two-step shutter button), 8m front-facing camera (for potential front-facing video call support), lots of physical buttons, and a machined wheel for quickly scrolling through the interface. It also has a fingerprint reader, flashlight, 5G chip, and NFC (a digital wallet option is possible in a future update). It's meant to be an enjoyable and convenient device to use…just not something at which you spend all day staring. The larger screen and hardware improvements are based on Light's community feedback. Light Phone III is faster than the Light Phone II as well. The rear battery is user-accessible. Light The battery is user-accessible and completely swappable. You can change out the USB-C port as well. Light doesn't believe in planned obsolescence and has built the Light Phone III to last. Which is also why it commands a premium full retail price of $799. Light has its own service built on AT&T's network, but the hardware arrives unlocked and you can bring your own SIM card to the mix. Light Phone III will work with AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, Ting, Mint, and US Mobile. Starting in May, you'll be able to pick up the Light Phone III at Boost Mobile locations in New York City. When the initial January ship date came and went, I started to wonder when the Light Phone III was actually going to ship. That day has finally come. If you placed your pre-order when it went live last year, Light is now shipping out the Light Phone III to customers in chronological order. Luckily, while the company is fulfilling initial pre-orders, they've launched another round of pre-orders at $599. It's not quite as good of a discount as last year's pre-orders but it's still a substantial amount off what the final retail price will be. The press release says that these will ship in June, but the website is already indicating a ship date of July. I'm looking forward to checking out the Light Phone III soon and doing a test run of a digital detox. After decades of having the entire internet in my pocket, I'm not sure how successful I'll be. But I'm very curious to see if I can break old habits, rediscover boredom, and ponder again (when was the last time you tried to figure out anything without consulting a Google search). I don't expect to completely replace my iPhone (after all—I have a home full of devices that rely on apps to keep running) but I wonder just how far I can go with just basics. I'll have a full hands-on report soon.
