Inside the Month Offline program: Can flip phones and digital detoxes break smartphone addiction?
By
Guardian staff reporter
If you only eat one bagel today, this is the bagel.
Summary
A startup called dumb.co is running a program called Month Offline (MO) where participants pay $75 to use a flip phone for a month, swearing off smartphones entirely. The article explores the growing anti-tech movement and the push for 'social and spiritual freedom' through digital minimalism, following 28 New York residents who signed up for the challenge. The flip phones are loaded with essential apps like WhatsApp, iMessage, Google Maps, Uber, and Microsoft 2FA, making them more functional than classic dumbphones.
Key quotes
· 2 pulledThey aren't as dumb as they look
As part of a growing anti-tech movement, startup dumb.co is pushing flip phones as a way for young people to find 'social and spiritual freedom'
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