--- title: "Gen Z Is Embracing a Hot New Technology: Flip Phones" description: "The ever-nostalgic Gen Z is resurrecting a bygone ghost of technology's past: flip phones. Or \"dumb phones,\" as they're often called." date: "2023-03-29" modified: "2023-03-29" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/gen-z-flip-phones" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "cell phone" - "dumb phone" - "gen z" - "the digest" --- # Gen Z Is Embracing a Hot New Technology: Flip Phones ![The ever-nostalgic Gen Z is resurrecting a bygone ghost of technology's past: flip phones. Or "dumb phones," as they're often called.]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* ## Brick Revival Ever-nostalgic [Gen Z-ers]() are resurrecting a bygone ghost of technology's past: flip phones, or "dumb phones" of a bygone era that long predates the smartphone age. "I think you can see it with certain Gen Z populations — they're tired of the screens," Jose Briones, a dumb phone influencer who moderates the [r/dumbphones]() subreddit, [told ]()*[CNBC]().* "They don't know what is going on with mental health and they're trying to make cutbacks." Honestly? We get it. Kids today have grown up surrounded by more technology than older generations could only imagine, and while phones and social media have become integral to everyday life in a society-shifting way, a *lot* of [recent research]() has suggested that constant exposure to screens and social media might actually be really, really bad for people — [especially for young folks](). In short, reclaiming a screen-less, or at least a less-screened, life for yourself makes a ton of sense. We say: dumb phones for all! ## Minimal Phones According to *CNBC*, the apparent Gen Z affection for dumb phones isn't quite as reflected in sales as it is in [social media hashtags](). Still, experts aren't ruling out the idea that we might see an eventual uptick in sales. That said, the dumb phone creep is also being reflected in a different way: the emergence of dumb phone-adjacent products like [The Light Phone](), which is marketed as a "minimal" — rather than, you know, *stupid —* alternative to smartphones. "What we're trying to do with the Light phone isn't to create a dumb phone, but to create a more intentional phone — a premium, minimal phone — which isn't inherently anti-technology," Joe Hollier, cofounder of Light, told *CNBC*. "But it's about consciously choosing how and when to use which aspects of technology that add to my quality of life." It's a nice sentiment, although a decidedly [wellness-ized]() take on the anti-smartphone movement. The growing Gen Z affection, on the other hand, feels more like the result of an outright rejection of a quintessential symbol of modernity instead of a desire for a sleek reinvention of the cellphone. So before you get too worried, the teens are — at least mostly — alright. Pray for the millennials instead, who are allowing their iPhones to turn them into [sleep-derived]() crypt keepers. **READ MORE:** [*Dumb phones are on the rise in the U.S. as Gen Z looks to limit screen time*]() \[*CNBC*\] **Another reason to use a dumb phone:** [*Guy Discovers a Way to Unlock Any Pixel Phone Without the Passcode*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()