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Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
These college kids are swearing off smartphones. It's sparking a movement
There was no way around it: Charlie Fisher was addicted to his smartphone. He scrolled on TikTok and Instagram first thing in the morning, picked it up to answer text messages between classes and relied on it as a crutch in social settings. It was a 'never ending pattern.' 'It just basically created this pattern where I was anxious, and so I'd open my smartphone, and then I would hate myself for opening my smartphone, which made me more anxious,' Fisher says. If you told him a few years ago that he wouldn't be living with a smartphone, he would've been shocked, but the 20-year-old says his life is better because of it. He's part of a movement of college students who are trading in their smartphones for what's now considered trendy hardware: flip phones. Fisher grew up playing with basketballs and nerf guns around his cul-de-sac with a group of neighborhood kids. But when they all downloaded Snapchat, it changed the way they interacted – they no longer had to knock on each other's doors to ask to play and hangouts started to involve screens. By the time he entered high school, everyone in his classroom had a phone. He's not alone. Nearly half of teens say they're online constantly, according to 2024 data from the Pew Research Center. And 48% of teens aged 13 to 17 say social media has a negative effect on kids their age. 'It got to the point where I didn't even know what being present was,' Fisher says. 'Someone said flip phone. I was like, 'Wait, you can do that?'" He bought a $20 Nokia flip phone from Walmart with a $6 per month plan. For a year, he waffled between his smartphone and the flip phone until he pulled the trigger and fully ditched his smartphone in March. Seán Killingsworth, 22, had long noticed that his peers' interactions were impacted by the smartphones in their pockets. He coined the term a 'social wasteland' to describe the 'zombies' around him who were unavailable for social connection. He got a flip phone his sophomore year of high school. Whenever a new friend asked for his Snapchat, the conversation would quickly come to an awkward halt after he explained he had a flip phone. When he tried to call people – texting on his flip phone's keyboard was tedious – it was anxiety inducing or off-putting for his peers, who often stopped reaching out. 'I ran into a lot of barriers just trying to make a friend because of the mode of communication I'd chosen to use,' Killingsworth says. When he enrolled in school at the University of Central Florida, he wanted things to be different, and started hosting casual get togethers with friends without phones. Eventually, the idea turned into the Reconnect Movement, which has clubs at Rollins College, the University of Florida and the University of Central Florida. Another chapter is on tap to launch at Simpson College in Iowa this fall. The events involve activities like painting, playing outdoor sports or hosting lighthearted 'goofy debates' where students argue over topics like mountains vs. the beach. Many times, though, the event at hand morphs into an afternoon where everyone just hangs out. 'It's a way to see and be able to experience what is possible with just connecting with a group of people for no reason and just hanging out purely to hang out,' Killingsworth says. 'That doesn't really happen anymore, because everything's so facilitated and planned out by technology.' More: Why quitting tech and social media is harder than quitting cigarettes Addiction spans devices and platforms and is most heavily tied to algorithms that feed curated content to users, according to Digital literacy expert Kaitlyn Regehr, who is the author of 'Smartphone Nation.' A combination of factors – the refresh screen, the device's color saturation, notifications and prompt system – impact how the addiction functions. Child psychiatrist and Yale School of Medicine professor Yann Poncin says smartphones impact the brain in three key ways: impacting productivity and prioritization, depleting the brain's cognitive patience and threshold for tolerating frustration, and rewiring the brain's pleasure pathways and dopamine release. 'Your dopamine system, over time, over multiple events, is getting set in a way that to trigger dopamine release and a feel good release, you actually now need this phone, because nothing else in life is regularly going to give you that level of dopamine satisfaction,' Poncin says. Poncin says teenage years are a core time when young people start developing their identity and determining who they are in relation to their larger peer group. The hormonal and biological changes young people experience make them more attuned to social comparison, something a social media presence can heighten as teens compare their followers and likes with those around them. 'The natural state of adolescence that is prone to feeling left out, prone to maybe feeling blue, sometimes prone to social anxiety; it is not caused by social media, but it is aggravated by social media,' Regehr says. In the time since Fisher got a flip phone, he says he's returned to old hobbies. He's a musician, and has made more time to play harmonica, mandolin, banjo and guitar. He used to miss details on the screen when he watched movies, but when he watched the 2005 action film 'Sahara' this week on vacation, he could vividly remember the details afterwards. 'I've been seeing things more like when I was a kid,' Fisher says. 'You really see things for how they are in the physical world, and your emotions are really attached to that.' For incoming Oberlin College junior Logan Lane, an unexpected benefit of ditching her phone was developing her fashion sense. The 20-year-old rose to prominence after a 2022 New York Times profile featured the Luddite Club she founded for high schoolers in Brooklyn. During the COVID-19 pandemic, her outfits were heavily influenced by her TikTok for you page. But sitting in front of a trendy coffee shop in Brooklyn's Cobble Hill neighborhood, she donned an outfit reflective of her personal style: one of her mother's striped button downs, a bolo tie necklace and clogs with striped navy socks. Through the Reconnect Movement, Killingsworth has watched his peers come out of their shells. The first meeting started off a little awkward – after all, the students weren't used to going without their phones. But 15 minutes into the event, he says even the most socially anxious participants were having energetic conversations 'You'd be surprised how many other people are feeling the exact same way you are about social media,' Killingsworth says. The majority of the club's members don't have a flip phone, and Killingsworth acknowledges making the switch isn't for everyone. Sammy Palazzolo, a content creator who uses a flip phone part time, says she can't imagine not having access to TikTok, where she regularly posts advice and story time videos to 490,000 followers. But on nights out, she carries her flip phone. She and two friends purchased the phones during their freshman year after they realized all of the negative experiences they had while going out were tied to their cell phones, whether it was sending a text they regretted or neglecting to be present in the moment. Palazzolo recalled waking up with 'major anxiety' one morning after realizing she had accidentally posted a video on her Instagram story. 'These are supposed to be the best moments of our life, but you look around and people are scrolling,' Palazzolo says. It didn't just make her more aware of her phone usage. Carrying the flip phone was trendy, and made for better photos on nights out. 'It really captured the vibe of the night better with it being blurry and kind of vintage feeling,' Palazzolo says. More: How does social media affect mental health? It's complicated. Fisher warns that going cold turkey can be a jolt to the system. Instead, he recommends those looking to make a change to start by detoxing their social media and slowly weaning off of their smartphones to adjust to not having services like Google Maps. There are learning curves: texting on a T9 keyboard, navigating dating without access to apps and managing the demands of modern work without constant access to Microsoft Teams or Slack. Lane started drawing maps by hand to keep track of directions to parties. Fisher is a music engineer and missed having his music apps, so he burned his CD collection onto an iPod. Ultimately, though, the young people who've ditched smartphones say it's harder for those around them to adjust.'It just requires more planning,' Lane says of coordinating her plans sans smartphone. For those who aren't ready to make the jump, Regehr recommends keeping a 'phone-fed journal' with notes on when you opened your phone, what you did on your phone, how long you were on it and how you felt afterwards. Turning a phone on grayscale mode, turning off notifications and setting app time limits can provide short term relief. She also suggests trying a digital spring clean or unfollowing spree. This might mean making a separate work-related social account if you're seeing work content after hours or unfollowing that swimsuit brand that doesn't make you feel good. Regehr refers to this active decision making process as algorithm resistance – curating a digital diet where the user, not the algorithm, is at the helm. 'Decide what you want to see more of and what you want to see less of,' Reghr says. 'Actively search for things you want, that you want to be part of your digital diet, and quickly move past things you don't.' Rachel Hale's role covering Youth Mental Health at USA TODAY is supported by a partnership with Pivotal Ventures and Journalism Funding Partners. Funders do not provide editorial input. Reach her at rhale@ and @rachelleighhale on X. (This story has been updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy. ) This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Gen Z is into flip phones and throwing their smartphones away
Android Authority
23-05-2025
- Android Authority
The Motorola Razr is the one foldable I'd recommend to a first-time buyer in 2025
I love foldable phones — flip phones, specifically. There's something about the mix of nostalgia and portability that's always made it so easy for me to go back to something like the Galaxy Z Flip whenever I'm between reviews. However, recommending a specific flip phone to someone curious about the form factor has always been tougher. It's so easy to get caught up in the less flexible cameras, relatively small batteries, and somewhat limited durability that you're never sure whether someone should really buy a flip phone. But, if I know anything about Android fans, I know we're stubborn. If we set our minds to trying something new, that's probably what we'll do. So, if you're determined to dip a toe into the foldable phone segment for the first time, I'd recommend you do so with the Motorola Razr (2025), and here's why. Hello UX is easy and approachable Ryan Haines / Android Authority Although most people might think adjusting to life with two displays in your pocket is the hardest part of picking up a foldable phone, I'm here to disagree — well, kind of. Rather than worrying about keeping two displays safe from harm, I think the hardest part is learning to use both displays independently, especially on a flip phone. Sure, you can get away with making the outside of a book-style foldable feel like half of the internal display, but the cover screen on a flip phone will always feel different, and that's where Motorola's advantage lies. I've been vocal about not liking Samsung's recent Flex Window experiences. I haven't been impressed by the continued reliance on Good Lock to add basic features like an app drawer, and its widgets, though polished, don't always feel like suitable replacements. There's also the odd shape of the Flex Window itself that you have to contend with, watching the few apps that do work take on wonky layouts because they can't stretch down around the cameras. With the Razr (2025), almost all those struggles fall to the wayside. Is Motorola's alternative perfect? No, I still run into the occasional hiccup when the camera cutouts cover part of the app I'm using, but I still feel like it's much easier to pick up Hello UX and tweak it to a point where I'm happy. I don't have to jump through hoops to add an app drawer — I can add up to three panels for either apps or widgets within the native interface. Motorola also makes it much easier to waste time with games on its cover screen because if there's anything I want, it's obviously the ability to practice flicking penalty kicks while I'm in line at Whole Foods. Perhaps what I mean is that I'm glad Motorola hasn't overthought its cover screen experience. Rather than looking for perfection, it's open to letting users experiment with which apps they'll need every day. Yes, Google Maps might hide part of your ETA or remaining mileage because the cameras are in the way, but you can set it up and use it right out of the box, then swap over to Instagram or TikTok without needing a second app drawer — a claim the Galaxy Z Flip 6 can't make. Motorola's rear cameras are all you really need Ryan Haines / Android Authority If you read a few of my previous Razr reviews, you might remember that I wasn't always sold on Motorola's camera pairing. For a while, I thought the flagship flip phone would be better served by pairing its primary camera with a telephoto sensor, putting a little more zoom into the palm of my hand. Then, Motorola did just that when it refreshed the 2024 Razr Plus, and I almost immediately knew I was wrong. I didn't like the experience of using the phone while closed nearly as much as I thought I would, because it didn't let me punch past 2x zoom. The wide and ultrawide pairing is perfect for a flip phone, despite what I thought I'd like better. So, now that I'm back on the base Razr (2025) with a wide and ultrawide pairing, I'm comfortable admitting that the grass isn't always greener. When used on a flip phone, I now have to say that this is just the right setup and that Motorola's megapixel count feels right. Its 50MP primary sensor, which bins down to 12.5MP by default, is perfectly comfortable in most lighting scenarios, while the 13MP ultrawide backup works perfectly as a go-to selfie shooter with the phone closed. Yes, you get a similar pairing on the back of Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 6 (with a 12MP ultrawide instead of 13MP), but that phone will set you back an additional $400, and the difference in quality isn't nearly that high. To see what I mean, here are just a few samples from my time with the Motorola Razr (2025). So far, I've been pretty happy with the results from 0.6x to about 4x zoom on Motorola's base flip phone. The new wrinkle this year is that its cameras are Pantone-validated, a color treatment that Motorola first showed off on the Edge 50 Pro and Ultra in 2024. Essentially, it means that you'll sometimes see a Pantone logo pop up in the corner of your camera interface, as well as a brighter, more vibrant color profile replacing Motorola's typically natural look. It's occasionally punchy enough to give Samsung's reds and greens a run for their money, but you can also switch to Google's enhanced color profile if you want a slightly different look. As usual, though, I like how the Razr handles selfies from its primary camera, even if the default square aspect ratio throws me off just a bit. I've also yet to figure out what color tricks the Razr (2025) applies to its ultrawide shots, as many of my images have a glow surrounding the subjects. It's less noticeable in indoor photos, but I can't say that I love how the sky glows when surrounding the Living Classroom in Baltimore's Harbor East neighborhood, only to get very dark once you move higher up the background. I hope a future software update tones that down just a bit, but I can't say for sure. Samsung has its advantages, but I'm not sure they outweigh the Razr's value Ryan Haines / Android Authority Of course, for all of the things that I like about Motorola's latest Razr, I can't act like it beats the Galaxy Z Flip 6 from top to bottom. I have to give the Galaxy Z Flip 6 the edge in terms of raw performance thanks to its Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy, which stays comfortably ahead of the Razr's Dimensity 7400X. Samsung's Galaxy AI features have had more time to mature than the new crop of Moto AI options, too, but there's still a good bit of overlap between the two. If anything, Samsung's excellent commitment to software updates is the biggest feather in its cap, but even then, I'm not entirely sure it's worth an extra $400. This brings me to my point: The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 is an excellent flip phone. It's reliable, good for productivity, and will continue to receive support into the next decade. However, if you're brand new to the world of foldable phones, you might not be ready to tether yourself to one very expensive device for that long. If you're spending more than $1,000 on your next phone, it's perfectly reasonable to want something with a bigger battery, faster wired charging, and a form factor that will stand the test of time. Maybe that's the Galaxy Z Flip 6, maybe it's not. Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 6 might have more power and updates, but the Razr (2025) packs fun, simplicity, and value. However, with the Motorola Razr (2025), the stakes don't feel quite as high. You can still get an excellent flip phone with a solid IP48 rating, two reliable cameras, and a straightforward cover screen experience, but you don't have to drop a grand to get it. In fact, you can save yourself a full $400 while getting faster wired charging, double the base storage, and a shallower, less visible crease across the center of your 6.9-inch AMOLED panel. Thanks to the other half of Motorola's Pantone partnership, you'll also have more fun colors and textures to choose from. I was immediately drawn in by the nylon-esque texture of the deep blue Gibraltar Sea finish, while both Spring Bud and Parfait Pink offer a taste of vegan leather that feels smooth and soft in the hand. There's even an almost-white finish called Lightest Sky, a lightly textured acetate for the fans of neutral-colored phones. No matter which way you go, Motorola's finishes are more fun than Samsung's flat panels of colored glass, and you can't change my mind about that.
WIRED
18-05-2025
- WIRED
The Best High School Graduation Gifts
What's old is gold, and the kids now love flip phones. Except they're not dumb flip phones (those are popular too). No, these are smartphones that bend in half, making them easy to stuff in ever-shrinking pockets and purses. Motorola's latest Razr 2025 phones are our current favorite folding flip phones (8/10, WIRED Recommends). The Razr 2025 is a great place to start, and it sells at a shockingly reasonable $700. But if your grad is particular about photo and video quality, you may want to upgrade them to the Razr Ultra. They can even hold it in Camcorder mode to capture fond memories, like the good old days. For the grad who is constantly jotting down random thoughts, mapping out to-do lists, or prefers hand-written notes, a digital notebook is an excellent choice, and they won't run out of pages. The ReMarkable 2, the top pick in our Best Digital Notebooks guide, has a matte screen that feels like paper, and writing on it is quick and responsive. They can organize different notebooks or quick sheets and sort them via folders and tags. The stylus doesn't need to be recharged, and it attaches to the side of the tablet magnetically. For an extra $50, there's the Marker Plus upgrade, which adds an eraser on the other end of the stylus. ReMarkable offers a keyboard attachment ($199) as well, which feels satisfying to type on (distraction-free) and doubles as a notebook cover.
