Generation Z is all about “appstinence.” It’s a response to a growing problem online

The term “appstinence” was coined in the United States, specifically at Harvard Graduate School Of Education, a teacher training school affiliated with Harvard University. Appstinence is the name of a student organization founded by Harvard University graduate Gabriela Nguyen, 23. The organization’s goal is to help young people change their lifestyle to a more “analog” one, as well as use new technologies in a more sustainable way.

In addition to Appstinence, there are a number of similar organizations operating in the United States. One is Reconnect, which organizes smartphone-free meetups for American college students to help them make friends without the use of social media.

Appstinence: from a student idea to a global trend

The trend, which is developing among young representatives of Generation Z, has been picked up by companies from the technology industry. Some smartphone manufacturers are trying to refer to their models from the 90s and early 2000s, while completely new phones from more niche brands are also being created, which refer to the design of devices from two or three decades ago.

These are phones with small screens, on which you can see little and whose systems are designed to run only basic applications. Due to their very limited capabilities, these types of phones have earned their name some time ago: dumbphones.

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For example, old Nokias and flip phones are becoming increasingly popular among those who love everything that vintage "Zetka" does. These devices effectively discourage staring at their tiny screens and using a smartphone more like a classic phone.

There are also more and more applications that simplify the operation of Android and iOS systems, which change a modern smartphone into a simple phone, in order to make it more difficult for the user to browse posts on social media platforms for a long time - and thus encourage them to contact their peers in a more traditional way - through meetings or talking on the phone. Increasingly, more and more representatives of older generations are reaching for such applications.