Can Millennials Drop Smartphones And Survive With Feature Phones?

 

Honestly, it'd be difficult to communicate without a phone, but it shouldn't be hard to keep them aside to initiate an interaction with people around. Well, feature phones do exactly that! They are mobile, let you stay connected, but don't keep you hooked all the time. We aren't suggesting that millennials should completely stop using smartphones, but they should at least once try out the feature phone lifestyle. Here's how it will help them:

No More Addiction

Most millennials are glued to their smartphones, some even admit that they interact with their phones more than they do with the people around them. This means on an average day, millennials interact with their smartphones more than anything else. Millennials also tend to reach out for their smartphones very frequently to check their social media feeds or reply to messages.

They do this even in social settings, for instance, family dinners or gatherings. In contrast, feature phones don't keep you hooked, ferociously scrolling through social media feeds. They don't offer apps or addictive games that demand your attention in every few minutes. Feature phones make for an ideal tool to stay connected without ever coming in the way of human interactions.

 

More Real-World Interactions

As per a study, more than seven in 10 millennials claim to use their smartphones to avoid social interactions. This eventually leads to a loss of confidence and a lack of decision-making abilities in real-world scenarios.

However, keeping smartphones aside can pave the way for them to be more confident around people and interact without making things awkward. Having a feature phone will not just keep them connected to their close ones but will also help them experience a world outside phones and build a good social life.

Good Mental Health

Millennials keep juggling social media apps all the time, which can have grave effects on their mental health. Thanks to their ease of use on smartphones, millennials join more social media platforms than any other age group, eventually leading to the risk of anxiety and depression.

The need to seek validation through these social media platforms is more prevalent in millennials than ever. Not getting enough likes on Instagram or Facebook force them to question their importance in the world. Using a feature phone could save them from falling prey to this vicious ring of online approval. Features phones will also prevent them from reaching out for their phones over and over to check irrelevant social media updates.

The Compromises

To be fair, millennials have good reasons for using smartphones which they might not find in feature phones. Reports have shown that one in five millennials use their smartphone to keep themselves updated with news. Also, they are more likely than other age groups to look for educational content. Besides, millennials learn more about a health condition and apply for jobs online through their smartphones than any other group.

Moreover, entertainment is a major part of the millennial lifestyle, and staying up to date with the latest movies, shows, or web series is a great socializing tool for them. Well, smartphones surely do a better job at keeping a person updated with today's fast-paced world, but there's no denying the fact that feature phones offer you a getaway from this "always connected" society and lets you enjoy the simple things the world has to offer.