In recent weeks, I have developed a bit of a screen time problem. It tends to be something that creeps up on me around this time of year, coinciding with the dwindling daylight hours.

As the nights draw in and it’s pitch black by 6.30pm, I feel oddly discombobulated. Summer is long gone in the rear-view mirror, yet I haven’t fully settled into the rhythm of autumn, nor for that matter, prepared myself to face the psychological grind of the looming winter months.

Usually by late October, after the clocks go back, I find my groove again. Right now, though, the gremlins of seasonal fug are wreaking havoc.

I’m not alone. Myriad studies have found that as we get less sunlight, it can lead to a drop in serotonin levels, impacting our moods, behaviour patterns and sense of wellbeing.

This typically coincides with the point in the calendar when I fall into my perennial bad habit of idle scrolling on my mobile phone, something I have come to realise is down to chasing dopamine which, like serotonin, is a feel-good hormone.

Except here’s the kicker: the more I scroll, the less happy I feel. Too much screen time affects my sleep quality, attention span and posture. Making me feel tired, distracted and achy. Far from a winning combo.

This year, I have noticed a growing number of friends and colleagues opting for a social media break during October (similar to the premise of alcohol-free Sober October).

Then there are those taking things a step further, sparking a rise in popularity of “dumbphones”. Such gadgets, as the name suggests, are the antithesis to the so-called “smartphones” that many of us have glued to our hands.

Also dubbed “detox phones” and “brick phones”, it is a trend that has led to a revival of several Nokia models from the late 1990s, as well as the Motorola Razr V3, the latter almost as ubiquitous as paparazzi shots of Paris Hilton’s navel in low-rise jeans during the mid-2000s.

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While fond nostalgia may be partly driving this renaissance, the most commonly cited reason – particularly among Gen Z (those aged 12 to 27) and millennials (aged 28 to 43) – is mental health concerns linked to smartphones and social media use.

Many tech-savvy bods are increasingly switched on to the perils of data harvesting. With “dumbphones” less likely to collect and store personal data than smartphones, it can make them a better option for anyone concerned about privacy and data breaches.

These days, it seems mobile phones are used for everything apart from their original purpose: making voice calls. Instead, we have become accustomed to having a slew of apps, social media and 24/7 internet access in a tiny box we carry everywhere.

It feels like hardly anyone under the age of 35 makes traditional voice calls anymore, although they are brilliant at sending punchy voice messages (unlike mine which sound like a podcast-length recording of Alan Partridge rambling into his dictaphone at the Linton Travel Tavern).

I saw a tongue-in-cheek meme the other day where someone suggested that a great invention would be “a phone that’s for the whole family” and “stays in the house”. What’s that ringing sound? Ah yes, it’s 1876 calling. Alexander Graham Bell is on the line.

I have spent much of the past week ruminating about whether coveting a phone with only basic functions is a step forwards or backwards for humanity. And by humanity, I mean me and my current incessant scrolling habit.

Then I had a sudden flashback to 1999 and avidly playing Snake on my Nokia 3210 for hours as I travelled home by train from London to Edinburgh at weekends.

Yep, time to go old school cold turkey. I’ll be putting my phone in a drawer each night for the foreseeable future. It feels strangely liberating.

 

Susan Swarbrick is a columnist and freelance writer who specialises in celebrity interviews, TV content and musings on popular culture. She also loves the outdoors and regularly covers sport. Follow her on X @SusanSwarbrick