Chapter 1
The great unplugging
Chapter 2
The global world of dumbphones
Chapter 3
Designing a life of friction
Ch 1 · The great unplugging
futura Center for Humane Technology scientists warn that constant push notifications during our three daily mobile hours break human attention spans.
Quiz
Which non-profit organization, co-founded by Tristan Harris, campaigns against persuasive design in modern smartphones?
Quiz
According to research from 2023, what is the average daily screen time for a global internet user?
futura New York designers created a tiny phone without internet to spark digital minimalism.
Quiz
What was the primary limitation of the original Light Phone released after its 2015 crowdfunding campaign?
Quiz
In which city did designers Joe Hollier and Kaiwei Tang found the Light company in 2014?
Fun Fact
Luddite Club: Brooklyn teenagers in the club gather weekly in parks to read paper books and self-publish hand-drawn zines instead of scrolling.
Quiz
Which brain chemical is primarily associated with the reward loop triggered by smartphone notifications?
Quiz
Which psychologist's mid-20th-century research on variable reward schedules inspired the addictive design of modern social media feeds?
Glossary
dumbphone (noun)
A basic mobile phone that lacks advanced functionality, typically limited to voice calls and text messaging. Between 2021 and 2024, purchases of these basic devices among young adults surged by 148 percent.
A basic mobile phone that lacks advanced functionality, typically limited to voice calls and text messaging. Between 2021 and 2024, purchases of these basic devices among young adults surged by 148 percent.
futura Gen Z Analog Rebellion
Traded my screen for a pastel flip! (Pastel flip!) / Closed the scroll on our offline trip! (Oh yeah!)
Quiz
In which US borough did teenagers form the Luddite Club in 2022 to promote flip phones and offline living?