Brick phones are so back episode artwork

EPISODE · Jan 7, 2026 · 13 MIN

Brick phones are so back

from What in the World · host BBC World Service

Brick phones are making a comeback… but it’s not just down to Y2K nostalgia. There’s growing concern around how dependent we are on our smartphones - screen time apps are getting more popular, devices to lock you out of your apps are on the market and some people are even getting rid of their smartphones completely. So, why are so many of us doing a digital detox? And do we even need to?BBC journalist Chelsea Coates explains where this growing trend is coming from, plus she takes us through the data on smartphones and young people. We hear from Elias Wachtel, who reported on this for The Atlantic after giving up his smartphone, and Veda (@Sakuraopal) in Hong Kong, who went viral online after swapping her smartphone for a flip phone to cut her screen time. And Professor Andy Przybylski, who specializes in Human Behaviour and Technology at the University of Oxford, debunks some of the misconceptions we have about phones and our health.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Iqra Farooq Producers: Chelsea Coates, Maria Clara Montoya and Emily Horler Editor: Verity Wilde

Brick phones are making a comeback… but it’s not just down to Y2K nostalgia. There’s growing concern around how dependent we are on our smartphones - screen time apps are getting more popular, devices to lock you out of your apps are on the market and some people are even getting rid of their smartphones completely. So, why are so many of us doing a digital detox? And do we even need to?BBC journalist Chelsea Coates explains where this growing trend is coming from, plus she takes us through the data on smartphones and young people. We hear from Elias Wachtel, who reported on this for The Atlantic after giving up his smartphone, and Veda (@Sakuraopal) in Hong Kong, who went viral online after swapping her smartphone for a flip phone to cut her screen time. And Professor Andy Przybylski, who specializes in Human Behaviour and Technology at the University of Oxford, debunks some of the misconceptions we have about phones and our health.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Iqra Farooq Producers: Chelsea Coates, Maria Clara Montoya and Emily Horler Editor: Verity Wilde

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Brick phones are so back

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This episode was published on January 7, 2026.

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Brick phones are making a comeback… but it’s not just down to Y2K nostalgia. There’s growing concern around how dependent we are on our smartphones - screen time apps are getting more popular, devices to lock you out of your apps are on the market...

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