Is going retro the answer to our ever-growing dependence on smartphones? Nokia thinks so. Offering up some major Y2K nostalgia, the company announced the return of the 3310, a pre-smartphone era cellphone that was originally released in 2000.
As this Atlantic article reminds us, “nothing was less sexy or less useful than a cell phone” in their prime of the late 1990s to early 2000s. But the comeback of the 3310, or the “dumbphone,” as the Atlantic calls it, may be just the intervention we need.
Reverting to the 3310 might seem prehistoric, but there are notable perks to consider, especially as more and more research suggests our smartphones are wreaking havoc on our mental and physical health.
Equipped with an actual keyboard and all, the new 3310 boasts a month-long battery life, a $50 price tag and, of course, the game Snake. You can’t check Twitter, Instagram or email but you can take it with you on adventures where expensive smartphones could be damaged. Although the 3310 would probably serve as a supplemental phone to those who purchase it, as the Atlantic points out, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re just adding one more screen to the mix. Imagine going camping with the 3310 instead of your smartphone. Some may lament the lack of a high quality camera and not being able to instantaneously share your morning hike with Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, but being truly unplugged from social media is a very freeing thought.
Thought most of us probably aren’t ready to part with our smartphones just yet, the very reintroduction of the 3310 reflects an important cultural shift. We’re waking up to the reality of our unhealthy relationships with screens and taking steps — including returning to “dumbphone” roots — to unplug.
Read more in The Atlantic.
Originally published at journal.thriveglobal.com