I Picked Up My Phone for One Thing. Half an Hour Vanished.

There's a growing trend among Gen Z abroad: buying old-school phones that only make calls and send texts, on purpose. It's a reaction to burnout, a deliberate step back from the smartphone. Some options still play music and pull up maps but block social media outright, and there are even small clip-on devices that lock social apps on the phone you already own.

Opening...