The Boring Phone, a new featureless flip phone, is gaining popularity among Gen Z who are stressed out by smartphones. The device is a collaboration between Heineken and fashion retailer Bodega, unveiled at Milan Design Week. The trend, known as Newtro, is driven by Gen Z’s suspicion towards data and attention-harvesting technologies. The boom began in the US last year, ironically fueled by TikTokers under the #bringbackflipphones hashtag. Companies like HMD and Punkt have seen substantial sales increases in their feature or minimalist phones. However, smartphones still dominate the market with nine out of 10 phones being smart. Gen Z’s move to digital minimalism is also reflected in their declining use of social media. They are the only generation whose time on social media has fallen since 2021. This trend towards offlining is also seen among older people.
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