Alarm clocks, maps, books, flashlights, watches, radios, MP3 players, Palm Pilots, remote controls, cameras, handheld recorders and other devices have all been gradually absorbed into a single one: the smartphone.

This convergence has brought unparalleled convenience into our fast-paced lives. Free internet-based calls and messaging, navigation, documentation, entertainment and even authenticator apps required to access work email have become essential daily functions and tasks.

For most of us, smartphones are no longer optional; they’re constant companions that have restructured how we work, communicate and move through the world.

Yet, as smartphones have become increasingly central to everyday life, a counter-trend has begun to take shape. In an effort to combat the attentional drain of smartphones, teens and young adults are deliberately reintroducing single-purpose technologies into their lives.

Revival of single-use devices

Single-use devices include basic mobile phones with limited functionality (“dumb phones”), standalone digital and film cameras, MP3 players and iPods, e-readers such as Kindles and even paper planners and physical alarm clocks.

Several overlapping factors appear to be fuelling this move to digital minimalism. One is digital burnout and choice overload. Smartphones collapse multiple roles into a single interface, making it difficult to disengage from them. Persistent notifications and algorithmically curated feeds intensify this effect.

Rather than abandoning technology altogether, people are increasingly seeking to use it with greater intention. Instead of accumulating thousands of photos and screenshots on their phones, many young adults are purchasing cameras to capture the important moments, people and places in their lives.

Likewise, there’s a resurgence in iPod and MP3 player sales. These devices allow people to listen to music without advertisements, notifications or algorithmic recommendations.

Patterns of smartphone use help explain why such alternatives are appealing. Not surprisingly, mobile phone use has increased year after year for Canadian adults from 3.2 hours a day in 2019 to 5.65 hours 2023.

A 2022 Statistics Canada report found just over half of Canadians said they checked their smartphone first thing in the morning, and the last thing before bed. Forty-three per cent said they typically check their smartphone at least every 30 minutes.

Canadian adolescents are among the most digitally dependent, with a smartphone penetration rate of 87 per cent in 2021 and about 88 per cent of those aged 15 to 24 reporting that they check their phones at least once every hour.

Mobile phones and screens are deeply embedded in daily life globally. Worldwide, the average person now spends nearly six to seven hours a day looking at screens, with most of that time spent on mobile devices at almost four hours a day on phones alone.. In countries like the Philippines, Brazil and South Africa, daily mobile screen time regularly exceeds five hours.

By comparison, those in the United States and United Kingdom tend to spend slightly less time on their screens, but still a significant proportion of their waking hours engaged with digital devices.

A new trend or old habit?

The turn toward single-purpose devices may appear to be a reaction to smartphones specifically, but efforts to unplug from technology long predate them.

Organized “cellphone free” days were already being promoted as early as the 2000s, already fuelled by unease with “always available” connectivity. What has changed in recent years is not the desire to step back, but who is being most affected and what they are stepping away from.

Today’s single-use movement is being driven largely by people who are deeply embedded in digital work and culture: international workers, those who are self-employed, professionals, those working in creative industries, students and parents.

Research on digital disconnection shows that people are most likely to disengage when they experience persistent time pressure, cognitive overload, blurred work–life boundaries or emotional fatigue from constant exposure to online content.

In that sense, the turn to dumb phones, dedicated cameras or e-readers is less about nostalgia and more about an attempt to use digital tools that help us focus and create, rather than platforms that are designed to constantly capture our attention.

Stepping back from screens

Reducing screen time and social media use can have profound benefits on cognition and well-being. One study found that limiting social media use to around one hour per day reduced symptoms of anxiety, depression and fear of missing out, while improving sleep among young people aged 17 to 25.

Another study blocked internet access on participants’ smartphones for two weeks. A staggering 91 per cent of participants reported improvements in their mental health, life satisfaction and ability to sustain attention, with the effects comparable to reversing 10 years of age-related cognitive decline.

Participants spent more time socializing, exercising and spending time in nature, all of which are associated with improved well-being.

Research on forced digital disconnection also offers insight into the immediate effects of removing internet-enabled devices. In Swedish detention centres, for example, inmates are issued basic mobile phones with no internet access. Ethnographic research shows this eliminated compulsive phone checking and made communication slower and more deliberate.

While the context is extreme, it highlights that once devices designed for endless engagement are removed, patterns of attention and behaviour can change almost immediately.

Thinking of unplugging?

Voluntary forms of disconnection have started gaining traction. Digital detox retreats, for instance, offer a chance to step away from the constant pull of online life. Whether in off-grid cabins or rural retreats, these escapes allow time for reading, board games, cooking and nature walks. They offer a deliberate pause from the looming sense of urgency to be online and the pressure to perform for an audience.

If you’re curious about experimenting with single-purpose devices, a full break from smartphones isn’t necessary. Many people begin by identifying the functions that feel most disruptive, such as social media or constant messaging and relocating others to separate tools.

Simple steps include using an e-reader for reading, a standalone alarm clock to keep phones out of the bedroom or a dedicated music player for commuting.

A more moderate approach includes installing an app that can monitor screen time use, like Brick, or switching smartphone displays to greyscale to mitigate distractions and boost focus by removing colours that grab attention and trigger dopamine loops.

If all the hours spent scrolling were suddenly yours, an entire extra month a year, what would you do with that time? Perhaps it’s time to think about stepping off the feed and reclaiming the moments that are intrinsically meaningful and chosen by you.