The smartphone-less millennial is a dying breed. If you’re lucky, you might spot them in their natural habitat squinting at bus maps or being ignored at group dinners. Don’t look too long, though, or these timid beasts might scamper away in search of a pile of vinyl to crawl under.
OK, FINE: Although 83 percent of Americans age 18-29 own a smartphone, we’re not that precious. Our peers do give us weird looks, plus the occasional “luddite” spat out like a curse. We’re left out of dating trends, Instagram, and group chats. But is changing all of that worth a big monthly bill, less privacy, and giving up the best funky jazz ringtone?
To the three of us: Nope. And to prove that to our smartphone-obsessed generation, we three tech-savvy young writers decided to take to Twitter. With our dumbphones.
Our social media editor read questions and replies out loud like a helpful grandchild, while we desperately tried to keep up by texting our responses to Twitter.
We ran into some technical issues:
"hold on. my t9 doesnt know the word tweeting. kinda ironic" - @theblisspoint #dumbphonechat
— Darby Minow Smith (@darbyminow) February 19, 2015
Will @theblisspoint be able to retweet @dumbledarb from his dumbphone??? STAY TUNED. #dumbphonechat
— grist (@grist) February 19, 2015
As well as olfactory overload:
To everyone following #dumbphonechat: Our chat room smells OVERWHELMINGLY of Axe body spray. We might not survive but the dumbphones will.
— grist (@grist) February 19, 2015
But minus a few cut-off tweets, things went pretty well. So, let’s get ready to rumble.
Join the #dumbphonechat happening now. pic.twitter.com/7iUttLfXev
— grist (@grist) February 19, 2015
Question no. 1
Q1: For our #dumbphonechat: Why do you still have a dumbphone?
— grist (@grist) February 19, 2015
A1 im on the internet 50 hours a week for my job and spend too much personal time online. the few hours i have away from the internet ar ...
— Darby Minow Smith (@darbyminow) February 19, 2015
… “are golden.” And dumbledarb stumbles right out the gate.
Let's be real, @grist, I have a dumbphone because #degrowth http://t.co/FNTYodYXIT
— Sam Bliss (@ii_sambliss) February 19, 2015
Now that's out of the way: #dumbphonechat
my original flip phone died just over a year ago. been cycling through family's discarded phones ever since. #dumbphonechat
— Suzanne Jacobs (@SuzanneJacobs89) February 19, 2015
A1. i like to look up not down when i navigate. Then i know how to get there next time too. Getting lost is good 4 the soul #dumbphonechat
— Sam Bliss (@ii_sambliss) February 19, 2015
A1. Watching grown men play candy crush on the bus makes me not want a smartphone ever #dumbphonechat
— Sam Bliss (@ii_sambliss) February 19, 2015
Question no. 2
Q2: How do people react when they find out you don't have a smartphone? #dumbphonechat
— grist (@grist) February 19, 2015
my bro sometimes tells me to get a smartphone, then other times warns me that it's ruining his life #dumbphonechat
— Suzanne Jacobs (@SuzanneJacobs89) February 19, 2015
A2 my family offers to buy me an iphone every christmas. respect my dumb choices, mom! #dumbphonechat
— Darby Minow Smith (@darbyminow) February 19, 2015
A2. It's always: why not? Like why would i choose not to have the world's information at my fingertips. #dumbphonechat
— Sam Bliss (@ii_sambliss) February 19, 2015
A2 laugh. my friends always forget and send me group texts and wacky emojis. i cant read that shit! #dumbphonechat
— Darby Minow Smith (@darbyminow) February 19, 2015
Question no. 3
Q3: What are the most annoying aspects of smartphone users? #dumbphonechat
— grist (@grist) February 19, 2015
A3. Smartphone users want me to talk to them while they're playing w their schmoans as if they're listening. Then 'huh?' #dumbphonechat
— Sam Bliss (@ii_sambliss) February 19, 2015
saw a guy watching porn on his smartphone on the nyc subway #dumbphonechat
— Suzanne Jacobs (@SuzanneJacobs89) February 19, 2015
A3 users are likemovie bad dads. instead of heyigottatakethis, it's the boss, it's gottatakethis, it's linkedin notifications #dumbphonechat
— Darby Minow Smith (@darbyminow) February 19, 2015
Question no. 4
A4: What are the green benefits of avoiding smartphones? #dumbphonechat
— grist (@grist) February 19, 2015
A4. Well. Don't want to support child enslavement in africa to mine columbite and tantalum for smartphones. #idohavealaptop #dumbphonechat
— Sam Bliss (@ii_sambliss) February 19, 2015
A4. It takes more energy and resources to make more complex stuff. So dumbphones r green. And reuse > planned obsolescence #dumbphonechat
— Sam Bliss (@ii_sambliss) February 19, 2015
A4 my phone stays charged for at least a week #dumbphonechat
— Darby Minow Smith (@darbyminow) February 19, 2015
a4 but bigger than that, i think it's crucial to get out and see and engage with what we're trying to save #nofilter #dumbphonechat
— Darby Minow Smith (@darbyminow) February 19, 2015
A4 the real world is much different than the internet and smartphones constantly ping and pull us away from it #dumbphonechat
— Darby Minow Smith (@darbyminow) February 19, 2015
A4 people off the internet dont always think/look/dress like me and i need that reminder. they're less shouty and cute, too #dumbphonechat
— Darby Minow Smith (@darbyminow) February 19, 2015
a4: dumbphones discourage phone use in general b/c well...have you tried to use one of these things? #dumbphonechat
— Suzanne Jacobs (@SuzanneJacobs89) February 19, 2015
Let’s check in on our intrepid tweeters’ thumbs:
#dumbphonetalk is heating up, sliders sliding, flip phones flipping. pic.twitter.com/S1R70lkZPn
— grist (@grist) February 19, 2015
Question no. 5
Q5: How are you limited by being a dumbphone user? #dumbphonechat
— grist (@grist) February 19, 2015
a5: I'm not limited. I'm liberated! #dumbphonechat
— Suzanne Jacobs (@SuzanneJacobs89) February 19, 2015
A5. Can't take high quality photos all day... So i look with my eyes not my stupid screen. #dumbphonechat
— Sam Bliss (@ii_sambliss) February 19, 2015
A5 i have to draw maps. i dont know when the bus is late and my selfie collection is mighty small. so not really at all. #dumbphonechat
— Darby Minow Smith (@darbyminow) February 19, 2015
A5. No uber lyft tinder snapchat. Oh darn. #dumbphonechat
— Sam Bliss (@ii_sambliss) February 19, 2015
no internet to look up bus routes, no uber, no maps to find my way home. just...the kindness of strangers?! #dumbphonechat
— Suzanne Jacobs (@SuzanneJacobs89) February 19, 2015
Question no. 6
A6: When do you wish you had a smartphone? #dumbphonechat
— grist (@grist) February 19, 2015
a6: when i moved to seattle 3 weeks ago and found myself on the wrong bus at night going through an unfamiliar neighborhood #dumbphonechat
— Suzanne Jacobs (@SuzanneJacobs89) February 19, 2015
A6. I never wish i had a smartphone because everyone else has one and will share if it's urgent. Nice schmoan users (: #dumbphonechat
— Sam Bliss (@ii_sambliss) February 19, 2015
Question no. 7
A7: Should more people trade their smartphones for good ol' flip phones? #dumbphonechat
— grist (@grist) February 19, 2015
a7: ugh why fight it? we're a dying breed. when has humanity ever reversed progress? #dumbphonechat
— Suzanne Jacobs (@SuzanneJacobs89) February 19, 2015
A7. I also encourage folks to say no to obsolescence cycles and keep using the phone you've got if it works and you like it #dumbphonechat
— Sam Bliss (@ii_sambliss) February 19, 2015
a7: also, everyone should keep their smartphones because i don't want to lose the moral high ground here. #dumbphonechat
— Suzanne Jacobs (@SuzanneJacobs89) February 19, 2015
A7 i wont tell people what to do. (but yes! join us *witchy hand movements*)
— Darby Minow Smith (@darbyminow) February 19, 2015
a7: ok serious answer - i'm cool with smartphones, just not people abusing them. that pretty much goes for all new tech i suppose. #dumb ...
— Suzanne Jacobs (@SuzanneJacobs89) February 19, 2015
A7. I encourage you all to leave the smartphone behind once in a while, try it out. See how it feels to survive sans internet #dumbphonechat
— Sam Bliss (@ii_sambliss) February 19, 2015
