💡 Ideas & Tips
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Dec 23, 2024
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6 min read
Lately, I noticed my roommates in college talking about dumb phones and I couldn't help but get curious. With all the buzz around digital detox and simplifying life, I decided to give one a try myself. At first, it felt like a breath of fresh air—no more endless notifications or scrolling through social media.
This experience comes from Tom, a student who decided to make the switch from an iPhone to a dumb phone and shared his journey with us.
But, like anything else, my experience had its ups and downs… I’ll share my journey with a dumb phone, from the moments of clarity and focus to the challenges I faced in staying connected with friends and family.
Why I Switched to a Dumb Phone?
When I first heard about dumb phones, it was my roommate and his friend talking about how switching made them focus more on school and work. As someone who has struggled with focusing on studies without checking TikTok every 30 minutes, I got curious and thought about my New Year's resolution (to improve my focus).
So I asked them why they liked those “old fashioned devices” and the reasons they shared were eye-opening. They explained to me their struggles before having a dumb phone: poor dopamine levels, lack of focus and productivity, overwhelmed by constant notifications, pressure to stay connected online... They realized how much time they were losing on their smartphones, time that could be spent studying or working on side projects.
I was actually experiencing the same struggles. I often found myself indoors, mindlessly scrolling through my phone for hours without even realizing how quickly time was flying by. It affected my studies and side work significantly. I would stay up late at night getting lost on TikTok or Instagram, messing up my circadian rhythm and not even using that time to study.
Hearing my friends talk about their desire for a digital detox made me want to try using a dumb phone too. It made me think about how a dumb phone might help me regain control over my time. I wanted to break free from the cycle of endless scrolling and distractions that were affecting my studies and overall well-being.
My Switch to a Dumb Phone: Pros and Cons
I finally decided to get a dumb phone—a basic flip phone with absolutely no features other than calls and texts. I was excited about starting my digital detox and felt like I was making a positive change in my life.
The first week was great; I felt lighter and more focused. But by the second week, I quickly realized that living without my smartphone wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be.
Socializing became a real challenge. I had built my entire social life around texting, and without that, I felt lost. It was tough to talk to people face-to-face when I was used to sending quick messages.
Typing on my dumb phone was also a struggle. The tiny keyboard on my dumb phone made it nearly impossible to write long messages, so I often found myself sending short replies or none at all. This made me feel disconnected from my friends, and I missed the ease of communication that my smartphone provided.
I quickly discovered that it lacked many features I needed as a student: no maps to help me find locations quickly, no internet for checking important information, I couldn’t access my school emails on the go...
Scheduling tasks became a hassle because the phone didn’t have any apps or reminders. On the bright side, the loud alarms did help me wake up early, which was a small win. 😂
I soon realized that switching to a dumb phone wasn’t just about getting rid of distractions; it also meant finding a device that could support my life as a student.
Thankfully, after some research online, I discovered there are several dumb phones that still offer internet access, WhatsApp, Maps, and other essential features for students like me. This gave me hope that I could find a balance between simplifying my phone use and meeting my needs as a busy college student.
In my research, I found the Jelly 2e dumb phone very interesting because of its small size, which removes most of the distractions but allows me to do everything a smartphone offers. However, before buying the Jelly 2e, I decided to spend some time on Reddit to get reviews on the phone and I stumbled on an interesting option.
Someone mentioned an app called Jomo that could turn my iPhone into a dumb phone. This option made so much sense be wise it meant that I won't have to spend extra money on another dumb phone. So I decided to give the Jomo app a trial.
A Better Alternative for Me
While browsing a subreddit, I came across a recommendation for the Jomo app designed to help manage your screen time by blocking distracting apps and websites.
I gave it a try and it instantly allowed me to focus on the things I need to do for the day without getting sidetracked by mindless scrolling.
The first step was to identify my most time-draining apps and set limits on them. The app's tracker showed me exactly where my time was going, and obviously, I didn’t need to spend five hours on TikTok...
By setting screen limits and gradually reducing my usage, I managed to cut down my TikTok time by two hours. This freed up time that I could use for studying and completing my assignments. By the time I got comfortable with the 3 hours limit, I went an extra mile and cut down my TikTok time to 1 hour. Surprisingly, this didn't feel weird. And that's because, I was gradually easing myself to life without social media instead of jumping at it at the get go.
Once I felt comfortable spending less time on social media apps, I moved on to transforming my iPhone into a dumb phone. Jomo made this easy by allowing me to block all applications except for the essentials like my mail, dialer, WhatsApp, and task manager. This way, I still had access to important functions while minimizing distractions. It felt like using a dumb phone without actually having to buy one.
This gradual process of reducing screen time and blocking apps made the transition much easier than when I jumped straight into getting a dumb phone. Now, I can enjoy the benefits of a simpler phone experience while still meeting my needs as a busy student.
Is switching to a dumb phone worth it? Yes and no. Depends on your situation. It didn’t worked well for me as a student with a lot of social connections. But on the other hand, I think it is amazing to stay focused during exams.
So if you're thinking about making the switch to a dumb phone, I highly recommend starting with Jomo first. It helps you manage your screen time and identify which apps are taking up too much of your day. This way, you can gradually adjust your habits without feeling overwhelmed.
Plus, you can use Jomo to turn it into a dumb phone temporarily. This gives you a taste of what it’s like to use a simpler device before committing to buying one.
