Some consumers trade their smartphones for simpler Light Phones
BROOKLYN, New York (WABC) -- More people are looking to disconnect from smartphones and reclaim their time, prompting some consumers to turn to a simpler alternative: The Light Phone.
"I had one dad, he found himself holding his 3-month-old child, and then he had a smartphone in the other hand that he was staring at," The Light Phone co-founder Joe Hollier said. "Then the child is looking up at him. He's ignoring him."
Hollier and fellow co-founder Kai Tang say phones should function as tools, not constant distractions.
"You need a hammer to hit a nail, so you go get it out, you put it back," Tang said. "The hammer doesn't impact your life."
The Light Phone is designed with that philosophy in mind. Users can make calls, send texts, record video, take photos, listen to podcasts or music, and check their calendars. But unlike traditional smartphones, the device is designed to minimize distractions and avoid tracking users.
Tang questioned the value of endless scrolling.
"You swipe, swipe, and then you snap out of it. Do you feel good? No, you don't," he said. "Do you want to do it again? Do you want to go tell your mom how great you feel?"
The company's latest flip phone model is scheduled for release in April.
Tang and Hollier developed the idea for the company during their own time away from smartphones, as a way to eliminate the endless doom scroll habit so many people are accustomed to falling in to.
Kai and Joe came up with the idea for this company with all the free time that they had because they were not on their smartphones.
For perspective on screen time habits, Eyewitness News spoke with clinical neuropsychologist Dr. Heidi Bender of NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine.
"Do you think people would be shocked to hear that the average person will spend 19 days this precious summer on their phone?" Charlesworth asked.
"It's shocking, but not surprising at all," Bender responded.
Bender said she is seeing signs that people are embracing simpler forms of connection and entertainment.
"Look at mahjong. Everything old is new again," she said. "We're going back to basics and essentials."
She also warned about the potential impact excessive screen time can have on families.
"We're now called the heads-down generation," Bender said, referring to children and adults alike.
She added that excessive phone use can affect "the connection between parent and child and the bond," while also harming "self-esteem and the relationship."
At the company's Brooklyn headquarters, Tang and Hollier keep thank-you notes from customers who say the devices have improved their lives.
"I've been loving it since having a baby, more present with her and everyone, and it's safer while driving," read one customer note.
Light Phones range in price from about $300 to $700.
Maybe, you really can buy time!
For Hollier, the payoff is seeing customers spend less time on their devices and more time focusing on what matters.
"It's beautiful to see so many people getting so many hours back," he said.
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