Gen Z are bringing back flip phones. Are they turning their back on tech?

In a surprising twist, young people are using dumb phones again. But no, it’s not a Luddite Renaissance. It’s a reflection of how Gen Z are rethinking their relationship to smartphones, social media — and all the data they’re asked to share every day. 

Remember those old flip phones? You know, those little plastic toys that were only good for texting and calling your friends? 

Well, they’re back. And it’s Gen Z leading the charge. According to a recent PUIRP study, since the pandemic, “dumb phone” sales among 18-to-24-year-olds have skyrocketed by 148%. 

These so-called “minimalist phones” have no internet browsing or social media. For many young users, they’re a way to carry out digital detox or “dopamine diets.” 

Which seems odd, right? After all, Gen Z grew up around smartphones, Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok. Digital is basically oxygen for them. 

But it makes sense. They might be digital natives, but they’re not mindlessly accepting the way things are. They’re not passive users and they know what they want. And you know what else they know? That the internet — and, of course, AI — lives and thrives on data. Data about you: what you buy, what you look at, and who you are. 

Some Gen Zers, as we just saw, are walking away from it all, flip phone in hand. Yet others are taking a different route. They understand the reality of the internet and are focusing on setting boundaries. 

According to Oliver Wyman Forum research, Gen Z consider data privacy a hot button issue. Yet 88% of them say they’re still willing to share personal data on social media, far more than older generations. 

What’s behind this paradox? Well, it’s not all that contradictory, when you think about it. 

Gen Z simply understands personal data as currency. It’s a transaction: they share data and receive better service. If the service isn’t up to par, they take matters into their own hands. 

In fact, there was a recent Cisco report that found that younger phone users are the most concerned about their personal data and the likeliest to switch providers when their privacy standards aren’t met. 

As leaders in our organizations, it’s important to keep all this in mind. Because what’s at stake, quite simply, is how Gen Z will eventually shape the digital world. And it’s there — online and on social media — where we’ll find our future clients, customers, and even in-house talent. 

That’s why we need to know how young people are moving and hustling in the new data economy. Are they seeking refuge in an analogue embrace? Or becoming savvier data managers for their own digital identities?

Wherever they’re going, we’ll need to meet them halfway.