Gen Z is often touted as the digital generation and the driving force behind most online trends. A new study indicates that 50% of Gen Zers want a break from their phones, though most of any other generation.
Squarespace surveyed 4,000 adults in the US, Canada, UK and Australia and looked at their digital behavior past and present. Staying connected and sharing with friends and family was the main reason people chose to stay connected.
Email, social media and online gaming are Gen Z’s earliest memory of the internet. Despite previous studies indicating that Gen Z prioritizes TikTok over Google as a search engine, Squarespace found that Gen Z is twice as likely to use the general web than social media for seeking information.
In 2023, choosing to step away from social media is a bold move – especially for younger generations who rely on it for work and socializing with their peers. Yet, some Gen Zers have been making the switch to flip phones in an effort to reduce their screen time.
Content creator Bria Jones recently bought a flip phone to help her disconnect from work. She brought her followers along as she made the purchase.
“I need to set better boundaries with my phone since it’s something that I use for work, and my brain is just having a really hard time distinguishing when we turn our brain off from work,” she said. “I’ve been wanting a flip phone for maybe a year now because I’d love to have just the means of communication; that way, I can take iPhone, turn it off and put it away somewhere.”
@heybriajones come with me to get a flip phone #flipphone
Others have been making the switch to flip phones for aesthetic reasons. Flip phones are the latest 2000s trend to have made a comeback online. Disposable and digital cameras are being repopularized for their single purpose and early-century “vintage” aesthetic.
Online, millennials and older Gen Zers (who are now 26 years old) have been reminiscing about the flip phone era.
