Dumb Phones Are Cool Again — But Can You Run a Business With One? (Full Q&A)

Phones are smarter than they were in the early 2000s … but are people any happier? Study after study finds that constant online connection — and the social media addiction it fosters — might not be conducive to mental health, especially for young people.

Is it any wonder that Y2K-throwback “dumb” phones are making a comeback?

Each month, Nokia (yes, that Nokia) is selling tens of thousands of flip phones and “feature phones.” These low-priced unsmart mobile phones offer a huge battery life and physical keypads, but few features beyond calls and texts. They’ve got five current models without a touch screen in sight.

It’s becoming a movement — led by Gen Z, who barely remembers the flip phone era — away from the forever-connected, endlessly-accessible, and attention-draining smartphone. Instead, it harkens back to something a little simpler and, just maybe, a little easier on our brains. But in the modern business world, which requires every company to have a steady digital presence, is it possible for entrepreneurs to ditch their iPhone?

There’s a productivity case for it, according to Will Stults of online storefront dumbwireless.

b: What would you say to entrepreneurs who might like to switch to simpler phones, but have legit concerns about keeping their businesses running, staying in touch with employees, and so on?

Stults: I would say there will without a doubt be some tradeoffs, and depending on the person, it could be exponentially better or worse for their work situation. However, even though I’m biased, I would argue that way more people can do it than would admit that they could. You just have to understand that there will always be some tradeoff of convenience. … How much time would you lose having to get on Wi-Fi with your laptop — or tether a hotspot from your phone — and how does that compare with the time you waste on a regular basis with your smartphone?

Because if you are like the majority of people in America, you are wasting well over an hour per day just with smartphone distractions. If you could have all that time back and allocate it to your work — or your dream, or your most important personal relationships — do you think it would be worth it? I guess it would depend on how much time an individual wastes per day on their devices.

As for communication concerns, “feature phones” on the market can provide solutions for those who need to have constant access to some apps while still not lending [themselves] to overuse; so there are different solutions for different needs now. Overall, I think a digital detox could be where your best ideas find a way to come to life, and everyone needs to remember how to find some time for that.

Do you personally rely on non-smartphones for your day to day?

Given the nature of our business (in essence, online retail), most days we can get things squared away on a home computer. Customer inquiries often come as phone calls, which I answer on my phone. I take the calls on my personal cell because our business is about valuing human connection over technology, and I can’t stand important questions being routed to a robot…

I also found that I organize better on a traditional paper planner; writing down my tasks as they come along is great for me. I don’t leave home without it.

Can you speak to the relationship between ditching the smartphone and mental health?

I would say the best effect is being OK with not being entertained at all moments. It can make you excited for light or serious conversation again. Or it can allow you to stare at the sky — or the traffic passing by — and have a moment with just your own thoughts … because you’re not aching to grab a device from your pocket that’s feeding you highly addictive content and giving you a dopamine hit every time you open it.

Maybe it brings you to be more present for an actual phone call with a family member, or you’re no longer avoiding your spouse coming in the room to talk to you and make you be present. … In regards to mental health, I think it’s obvious the smartphone is not in our corner, and certainly not for children.

In regards to the workplace, what if you could … get more work done if you are not stopping for entertainment breaks throughout the day?

What’s been the most unexpected or surprising thing about switching to a “dumb phone”?

The most unexpected thing I have experienced is the fascination with the cell phone all over again. … It reminds me of the initial fascination I had getting my first-ever cell phone set up. How amazing it is that we have the ability to call and send messages to anyone wherever we go at the touch of a button. It wasn’t that long ago that this was a brand new way of life, and in my personal opinion, it is the right amount of technology for most people. I don’t think humans are wired to have an algorithmically-based entertainment device that listens to them in every way in their pocket at all times. Phones are meant for communication, and we have strayed so far from that.

I want everyone that has ever looked at their phone after a binge session and said, “Wow, that was a ridiculously long time I just stared at this thing,” to consider a solution to stop that. And for kids, I think they need to just be kids and do most of their growing up without a device that can melt their brains with engagement, envy, or even serious depression.

Smartphones and the applications we most frequent are built to be so good, you’ll want to use them more and more. A lot of the time this is not a good outcome for the consumer. I hope we can have a small part in bringing people back to using technology in a way that improves their life, not detracts from it.

An abridged version of this article first appeared in the b. Newsletter. Subscribe now!