Would you ditch your smartphone for one without any modern features?
- Published
Today's modern smartphones provide us with the digital world at our fingertips.
Users are able to call and message friends and family, go on lots of different social media platforms, watch their favourite shows and even make purchases, all from a single device.
However, the rise in the use of smartphones has sparked some concerns about how much time young people spend on them.
There has even been calls to ban their use from spaces like schools.
Would you take a break from your smartphone? Find out more below and let us know your thoughts in the comments...
More like this
- Published23 May
- Published10 June
- Published19 April
Other steps have been taken by some companies which they say is intended to help reduce people's screen time, including the introduction of non smartphones.
These devices are often described as 'dumbphones' because of their limited uses.
They've slowly become more and more popular, with the launch of a new Barbie branded phone this week.
The hot pink flip phone, which was designed by the manufacturer HMD in partnership with Barbie creator Mattel, aims to help young people take a break from their smartphones, according to the device's makers.
HMD said research showed more and more young people were open to taking a digital detox from their smartphone by switching to a more basic feature phone that would have been popular used in the 1990s and early 2000s.
The phone is very stripped back compared to the devices many people own today, with no front camera, only one game and limited access to the internet.
"In our fast-paced digital world, it can often feel like the online buzz never stops," said Lars Silberbauer who is the chief marketing officer at HMD.
"This phone encourages you to ditch your smartphone in times when you just want less browsing and more fun."
This isn't the first type of device to do this, with the phone company Nokia already well known for its non smartphones.
The Barbie phone is also £99 in the UK, which is roughly twice the price of very similar non branded phones.
There are some experts, like Bath Spa university professor Pete Etchells, who say taking away smartphones from young people isn't an ideal solution, and instead, children need to be taught how to use them in a healthy and safe way.
Have your say on smartphones
We want to hear from you!
Would you be willing to swap out your smartphone for a less smart device?
Why not let us know your thoughts in the comments below...