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I tried this myself, but it's hard for a few reasons:
Some "dumb" phones still have a web browser and such, so you're not completely out of luck, but it's painful.
Right my phone is just a pocket computer, I only use it as an actual phone when I have no other choice.
A friend has had a dumb phone for a few years but supplemented with an iPad for things like messaging apps, maps, banking, camera. He finds the iPad just inconvenient enough to avoid social media addiction and always-connected mentality while still convenient enough to deal with the problems you described
I wonder if there is a niche market for something like an old Dell Axim x50v or a Palm Pilot that could do those smartphone functions on a wifi connection, that way you have the best of both worlds, carry a dumbphone. However, you could still walk into a local Library or even some McDonald's and connect if need be on the other device.
Of course, then you have to inconveniently carry two devices and the temptation would probably still be there.
Only wifi you'll get on one of those has to be an older wifi standard without modern encryption. I can't get my PDAs to connect via my router, but if I make a wifi Hotspot on my phone with no encryption or password, I can get mine to connect. Even then, HTTPS websites largely won't work since these devices are pre https-as-standard.
Beyond that however, I find a lotta use in mine for helping manage my ADHD since it does a lotta productivity stuff my phone can do, but with the only distraction being my mp3s and Space Trader.
That's why I said I wonder if their was a niche market for something like those devices, meaning I wondered if some company could make a newer modern version, like Apple used to make the iPod Touch for a while, which were almost the same as the iPhone just without the cellular connection.
They could just not use social media. However, apparently it is to tempting
I mean, they're quite literally designed to be as addicting as possible. I can't blame people for getting addicted to social media when billions of dollars have been invested in research on how to get them hooked.
True, even Lemmy is somewhat addictive
Like here for instance? They could always set up the phone to only allow set times on certain apps. However, of you can set a time limit, you can also unset a time limit. Not having the apps and games in front of you is the key thing.
You wouldn't expect a smoker to walk about with fags and lighter in their pocket and not touch them, or an alcoholic with a half bottle of vodka in their bag, calling them all day.
We've been led into a world of 'must have' apps, blogs and an always online culture.
It'll do us a power of good to step back from that. Beehaw, PieFed and Vivaldi Social are the only ones I keep now.
Spending a lot less time online and reading a hell of a lot more. And I feel better for it. Less stressed and more relaxed. I don't have the peer pressure that young kids get though. Any that tells me I 'must' use a certain app can do one and they get a lecture on online security and conspiracy theories to go with it. They soon give up 😉