During the promotion of “Oppenheimer”, director Nolan told the media that he wrote the script on a computer without Internet access and did not carry a smartphone with him for fear of being distracted. When delivering the script to the actors, Nolan did not send an emotionless letter: he personally flew to Ireland, waited for protagonist Sydney Murphy to finish reading and received feedback in person; although Robert Downey Jr. did not receive similar treatment, he also personally went to Nolan’s home in Los Angeles to read the script.
When a true maniac enters work mode, he will refrain from surfing the Internet unless absolutely necessary: ”I really don’t want to go online every time I’m bored.” Nolan joked that his children might think he is a “Luddite,” a figure who opposed the Internet during the Industrial Revolution. Mechanized workers, but now more and more young people “question, understand and become” Nolan.
A youth version of the “elderly cell phone” that should not be used unless absolutely necessary
It doesn’t matter if the Internet is broken and you can’t move forward!The trend of the “dumb phone” as opposed to the “smart phone” is emerging among young people in Europe and America. Fed up with the smooth experience of vertical full-touch screens and tired of the colorful world of social media, Generation Z, who are “looking for trouble”, have turned to feature phones of similar age.
According to statistics from cell phone manufacturer Nokia HMD Global, tens of thousands of flip-and-slide cell phones are sold every month in the United States, which in addition to making calls and sending text messages, these “living electronic fossils” only have functions basic like GPS and music playback. However, they are “dumb phones”. The offer is very wide, it not only includes phones from the 2000s recovered from old piles of paper, but also some products that have only appeared in recent years to help young people survive the “suffering” of smartphones.
▲ Lightweight Phone II.
The most popular is the $299 Light Phone II, launched in 2019. The first reason for its popularity is the design: it has an early fruity appearance, is slightly larger than a normal playing card, weighs about 80 grams and has a black and white e-paper screen similar to the Kindle. Behind the elegant retro appearance lies the soul of an “elderly phone”: it can make calls and send SMS, has Bluetooth and a headphone jack, but is without a lens and cannot be viewed after receiving photos. There’s also a text display toolbar, which hides alarm, computer and reminders, calendar, music, podcasts, navigation and other additional functions.
▲ Navigation function.
Light Phone II supports Wi-Fi networking and can be used as a hotspot for other devices, but it cannot access the Internet. This is a rule engraved in the cell phone’s DNA. It does not support social media and browsers, does not support news and advertising pushes, and does not allow tracking of the application by third parties.
The 1977 “Audience Commodity Theory” has long pointed out that television and newspaper information are not the most important products, but are just “free lunches” to attract audiences. The audience is the real product of the media, packaged and sold to advertisers. . Nowadays, Douyin’s unlimited flow of information and pop-up games that drive daily activity are similar, but the developer of Light Phone, Brooklyn-based Light, can’t stand the problem of smartphone addiction. Its purpose is:
Designed to use your phone as little as possible.
The Light team believes that the Light Phone II is not anti-technology, but that the product respects the user and the technology serves humanity, without deliberately competing for your or my time and attention. While the idea is good, the price of the Light Phone II amounts to US$299, which is more than some smartphones, and many users are “very tempted but repelled.”
This looks familiar. Mass-produced CCD card machines in the 1990s were very cheap but mostly turned into electronic waste, became popular last year and then came back into vogue. Some dealers have taken advantage of this to trick beginners into modifying driving recorders and selling them at rock-bottom prices. high prices. However Light is a bit out of control: it all started with crowdfunding, the team is small and the number of users is not large, the price is the result considering the cost of software and hardware.
Living in a fast-paced era, nostalgia inevitably becomes a buffer zone and entertainment to repair a fragmented life. The recharge of faith that goes against the grain also expects us to pay more.
Giving up the Internet is an attitude
Smartphones have long been plug-in devices, and it seems a little silly to still be talking about abandoning the Internet in 2024. But just as a BlackBerry with a full keyboard is an attitude, so is intermittent disconnection from the Internet. Maybe no one leaves the Internet forever, but there are always people on the verge of abandoning it.
Like young people in Europe and the United States, China’s Generation Z also wants to abandon the Internet. The Hisense Ink screen reading phone is similar to the Light Phone. It has significant advantages and disadvantages. Reading doesn’t hurt your eyes and has more communication and payment functions than an e-reader. , listening to music and other functions, it is convenient to carry around, but the usage scenarios are still limited. After all, the screen refresh rate is low and the color is single, which is not suitable for games, images and videos.
▲ Hisense A9 reading phone.
In addition to young literate people who love to read, this phone also attracts Internet-addicted teenagers who want to free themselves from algorithms. Take off your “colored glasses” to look at the world. Mukbang is boring, there is no color code for lipstick and there is no Maillard dopamine for clothes. The whole person is apathetic, and black and white words have more charm. This simply proves the fact: you will be used to it: major smartphones are put on the shelf and learn to compromise and be patient.
Everything is too fast and convenient: when your attention span is only 8-10 seconds and you have to keep going even to watch a short film, you become more and more impatient to wait. But because of this, we often forget the original intention of using the cell phone, and when we come to our senses, we are scrolling aimlessly for several hours. The comfort we take for granted is forced to bridge the distance that separates us. and mobile phones increase and friction is created with the screen, thus achieving the “anti-addiction” effect.
In addition to ink screen cell phones, anti-addiction vertical cell phones and era-disposed old cell phones are also “internet exit artifacts” with their own merits. Xiaomi eco-chain “Duoqin” specializes in developing anti-addiction mobile phones for students and people preparing for exams. There are small-screen and full-screen phones, as well as touch-screen phones with nine-square buttons. They are equipped with Android systems. In addition to making calls and sending text messages, they can also scan barcodes, take photos, even play games and watch videos.
▲Multi-button touchscreen and full-screen mobile phones.
The function seems to be no different from other smartphones, because Duoqin’s secret weapon is the anti-addiction system. If you select the “Student Edition” when starting the phone, the guardian can monitor it remotely, limit the usage time of your phone, and set which apps are restricted or permanently disabled. Duoqin mobile phones also have a certain “physical anti-addiction” effect. After all, the screen is small and the performance is limited. Playing games is not pleasant and watching videos for a long time strains the eyes. If it is a touch screen machine, whether it is a virtual keyboard or a physical nine-square grid, it is difficult to write, the space is smaller, and the body seems more awkward.
It is not necessary to install an anti-addiction system on obsolete cell phones because they are naturally difficult to use. Which one to choose to exit the Internet depends more on fate and appearance. The topic of “phones to get off the Internet” seems to be a world not governed by full-screen displays.
The square-sliding Nokia reason, or they can only take root in niche markets. When I was a kid I could get by playing Snake on my parents’ Nokia, but now there are so many entertainment options. Maybe “Genshin Impact” isn’t fun enough or the shorts aren’t enough? Another example is the BlackBerry, which has a full keyboard for smooth typing and the first smartphone system, but times have changed and users have gone from presidents and businessmen to students who want to disconnect from the Internet.
Giving up the Internet is an attitude whose core is taking the initiative to endure difficulties. It’s okay not to change your cell phone. There is a great idea to solve the problem of cell phone addiction: changing the font of the cell phone to seal the writing. It will be difficult to read and use and the brain will not be hijacked by dopamine. The “One Sec” app will interfere before opening some apps. It will first play an animation and guide you through a 10-second breathing exercise, then choose to continue or close. You can also turn off notifications and turn on focus mode, set the language to English, set the interface to gray, remove or close entertainment software, use a watch instead of a cell phone to check the time, and use a computer instead of a cell phone. phone to verify the information.
In short, giving full space to the spirit of “detachment”, minimalism is not limited to clothing and decoration, it is also a lifestyle.
A “minimalism” that is difficult to reconcile with everyone
How simple should a minimalist phone be? The Light team has been thinking about this problem since the first crowdfunding campaign. This is a dilemma: too many functions will make it impossible to detach yourself from worldly concepts; too few functions will make it difficult for modern society to progress. The first generation product, the Light Phone, however, did not have good standards: it only supported 2G networks and could only make calls without SMS, and not even they themselves could use it. “The simplicity we like creates difficulties.” When designing the Light Phone II, the team learned lessons and conducted user surveys to understand the rigid requirements, keeping what was necessary and discarding the redundant.
However, everyone’s needs are different: text messaging, navigation, notes, emoticons… how to make it simple and easy to use that most people think is still a complicated problem. Once you’ve filled out more than a dozen features, you have an iPhone. If you exclude too many, you go back to the Light Phone. Some netizens presented their cell phones without Internet, and someone asked in the comments area. Students are worried about whether homework can be used and workers are worried about whether they can download apps part-time. After many compromises, the Light Phone II still fails to satisfy everyone and also has many flaws: it is slow to start up, does not support contactless payment, requires downloading to listen to music, ghosting may occur when updating the ink screen and lacks accessibility features for disabled people Typing on the keyboard is tiring.
In early November 2023, Light Phone II and American rapper Kendrick Lamar’s pgLang brand launched a limited edition, and 250 units were sold out in one day. In addition to the celebrity effect, the common slogan also hits the young target audience: “Just a Phone”.
Of course a cell phone can simply be a cell phone, a little box for making calls and sending text messages. In addition to selling cell phones and SIM cards, the Light team also sells T-shirts, cell phone cases, wired headphones, postcard sets and other peripherals. The promotional video is also shot peacefully, always reminding you to put your phone aside and save time for drinking tea, reading, basking in the sun, cycling and spending time together with your family. It is probably due to the dark psychology of “acting it out”: this type of painting always arouses the author’s vigilance.
Right now the Light Phone II seems like a fashion accessory fit to be paired with a hardcover book, as appears in the self-media experience article “They Teach You to Shoot Atmospheric Blockbusters in 30 Seconds,” which shows how IKEA modules can be carefully matched to the ideal life. For modern people whose favorite things are gathering dust, giving up their smartphones and embracing dumb phones is a bit like buying online classes and gym memberships. They are all “spending money = progress” methods of spiritual victory and will not last long.
Insider reporter Jordan Hart recently replaced the iPhone 14 Pro with the Light Phone II, but it lasted less than a week: “I was shocked at how much I relied on the technology.” When he waits for food to be delivered, he can no longer check social media and can only listen to podcasts, while when he takes the subway he can’t play as usual. The Light Phone II made her more aware of her physical surroundings, but it also caused her to miss out on access to the larger online world.
Steven Winkelman, editor of the review site PCMag, isn’t sure the cameraless Light Phone II can let him live in the present. While it allows him to look up and see more scenery, it also makes him miss the opportunity for documentation.
I couldn’t capture a moment that struck me in the fall in Chicago and then watch it again in the winter, or share it with friends over dinner. That moment has passed.
Fritz Eichler, Braun’s first design director in Germany, said in an interview in his final years that the beautiful equipment is suitable for the stage, but not for modern, elegant apartments. Equipment should be unobtrusive and functional, such as silent servants. The functionality of the devices should be clearly identifiable and people should appreciate these electronic devices and enjoy living with them.
The starting point of minimalism should be practicality rather than beauty. However, the simplicity of many mobile phones without the Internet is only reflected in the look and feel of the product, rather than the internal working principle. It cannot be “less is more” nor can it reduce complexity, on the contrary increase its burden. It is difficult to say cause and effect: it is because of too many obstacles or not enough control of smartphones that we have been cultivated with astute tastes and usage habits, and the relationship between master and servant has been reversed.
Artificial intelligence will transform smartphones and wearable devices into more hardware. It’s very retro to talk about niche cell phones, but we still need this type of equipment and we hope to do better and better. Schopenhauer said that life is like a pendulum, which swings between pain and boredom, fashion is also reincarnation and the tug of war between minimalism and extreme complexity never stops. As we get used to the intelligence and noise of smartphones, we occasionally yearn for quieter, simpler options that can proactively control the safe distance between us and the Internet.
(This article is reprinted with permission from Ai Faner; first image source: The Light Phone)
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2024-01-12 16:03:26
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