There is an overwhelmingly loud wall of sound that berates any who enter the cafeteria. The students eat and talk happily with their friends during their one break in the school day. But more and more, like turning down the volume on a smartphone, this constant noise is dying down. Instead, students all around have their necks craned down at the table. They aren’t looking at their food though, they are staring at their smartphones. They scroll through Instagram or TikTok, snapping friends photos of half their faces. As time passes less and less students are talking to the people right in front of them, they are more interested in what their smartphones have to offer.
Nowadays, in the age of technology and smartphones, people are becoming more engrossed. This is especially true of students and younger teens. It’s nearly impossible to walk through a high school hallway without seeing someone looking at their smartphone.
A study by the National Library of Medicine found that in the U.S.,“Over 95% of teens ages 13 to 17 years have access to a cell phone.”
However, while this is the case in many places, there is also a growing movement among younger generations who are deciding to give up their smartphones in favor of flip-phones.
According to an article by The Guardian, Gen Z is “the only generation whose time on social media has fallen since 2021.” This growing movement among students and Gen Z has become more and more popular as younger people decide they want to spend less time online.
This movement is not just limited to Gen Z either, there are older generations who feel the same way about smartphones.
Math teacher Caleb Slavinski made the conscious decision to get rid of his smartphone over a year ago in favor of a flip-phone, and he has strong opinions on the topic.
“Students, when given free time, spend far too much time engrossed in their phones, and far too little time having real authentic conversations that are truly engaged,” Slavinski said.
Students are spending more and more time looking at screens rather than the people all around them, according to Slavinski. He said they are losing the ability to hold real conversations with their peers and are harming themselves educationally.
Freshman Oliver Elkins is a student who has a flip-phone.
“If everyone had flip-phones I think people would pay attention more, so everyone’s grades would be up,” Elkins said.
Another downside of smartphones is the easy access they give to social media, which negatively impacts the mental health of those who use it.
“Constant social media is negatively impacting students’ mental health, and it fragments attention,” Slavinski said.
One of the benefits of having a flip-phone is that productivity flourishes without distractions.
“I find myself being significantly more productive with my time,” Slavinski said. “I am learning a new language, relearning how to play an instrument and attempting to learn the basics of playing the piano. I have more time to learn and explore life, because I do not have a device in my pocket that is designed to steal my time and interest.”
Elkins has also noted the benefits he gains from his flip-phone.
“I don’t have social media so I actually go out and do things,” Elkins
Both Slavinski and Elkins report having increased productivity and time to do things without smartphones.
While at this point it may seem like there is no benefit to a smartphone, that is not entirely true. They have become prominent for more reasons than just social media, they are also extremely convenient. Junior Davis Williamson, along with many others says he has become reliant on his smartphone for its useful and convenient capabilities.
“I’ve become really dependent on my phone for stuff like navigation and just daily life,” Williamson said.
Elkins agreed that there are reasons he would want a smartphone.
“There are certain apps that are used for communication in my after school activities,” Elkins said. “So I think it would be helpful for me to have those apps.”
While many acknowledge the benefits of switching from smartphones to “dumb-phones” it is still hard for them to imagine taking that leap.
“I probably wouldn’t be able to switch to a flip-phone, I’ve become really dependent (…) It would be hard to switch,” said Williamson.
