"Moving Away from Smartphones for Three Years Has Significantly Altered My Perspective on Digital Life"

In a surprising move, a 23-year-old French woman named Maëlys, a member of Generation Z, has voluntarily given up her smartphone for three years. According to recent data, approximately 40 percent of adults in France may share a similar sentiment, although the exact number of individuals willing to give up their smartphones is not explicitly stated.

Maëlys' decision to disconnect was driven by the positive effects of disconnection. Three years ago, she parted ways with her smartphone, but when she bought a new one three years later, she found it challenging to disconnect once again. This time, however, she decided to stick with her decision.

Maëlys' smartphone had a short lifespan and didn't last a year. This constant change of devices led to the loss of contacts each time. In her daily life, she now uses a 'dumbphone' and an MP3 player for basic functions and emergencies.

The habituation effect of her smartphone bothered Maëlys for three days. After letting go, she rediscovered moments of boredom, took distance from her problems, and stimulated her imagination without a smartphone. The fear of missing out (FOMO) was a constant struggle for her, especially during her commute, when she used her smartphone extensively for recreational purposes and as a collaboration and research tool.

Despite giving up her smartphone, Maëlys continued to experience the fear of missing crucial information. To combat this, she uses an application like Quality Time to measure her screen usage frequency and block certain applications during work hours. She also transferred her smartphone usage time to a laptop.

Maëlys finds it difficult to resist checking the last message, video, or podcast of the evening before sleeping. However, she turns off her smartphone when spending time with friends or doing a collective activity. After losing her smartphone, either through loss or theft, she felt relieved at not being notified constantly with every new information.

The return of Nokia in 2018 did not reverse the trend of short-lived phones. Finding basic, inexpensive, and durable devices remains a challenge. Despite these hurdles, Maëlys alternates between a smartphone and a 'dumbphone' to save money on her plan, disconnect, and focus on the essential.

"Moving Away from Smartphones for Three Years Has Significantly Altered My Perspective on Digital Life"