Remember when “screen time” meant watching Friends on a Thursday night instead of your phone tracking your every move? Simpler times. And yet, here we are in 2025, a world where people are willingly swapping their shiny smartphones for what the internet is calling dumb phones.

Apparently, it’s all part of the great digital detox. Gen Z are leading the rebellion, trading apps for actual conversations, while older millennials are reminiscing about the pre-scroll days when you could go to the loo without someone DMing you a meme. Some say it’s about freedom from notifications; others, more cynically, think it’s about escaping the government’s latest attempts to “protect us” by knowing everything we’re doing. Either way, the idea of being unreachable is suddenly fashionable.

Meanwhile, I’m sitting here wearing two different brands of smart ring — one on each hand. I also own a smartwatch, a smart bracelet, and two smartphones strategically positioned on either side of my sofa like tiny digital bodyguards. If there’s a signal, I’m probably in it.

So no, I’m not the target audience for dumb phones. I like data. I like step counts. I like being able to Google “who played the dad in Mamma Mia?” halfway through a train journey. But even I can see the appeal of a simpler life, one without doomscrolling, pop-ups, or that existential dread that comes from accidentally opening your camera in selfie mode.

Still, the idea of going fully off-grid feels a bit… 1998. I did that era once and have no intention of reliving it, thanks. I’ll happily light a candle and journal my feelings, but I’m keeping Spotify and Google Maps.

That said, if you are tempted to try life in 2G again, there are some genuinely brilliant dumb phones out there — sturdy, battery-powered bricks that can survive both drops and existential crises.

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Shop the Nostalgia (Affiliate Picks):

📞 Nokia 2660 Flip – it actually flips, which is half the fun.

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📱 Nokia 105 Classic – the original unkillable phone. No apps, no chaos, just vibes.

👉 https://amzlink.to/az0gpkUzHnvyg

🔋 JCB Rugged Phone – ideal if you drop things, live outdoors, or just enjoy pretending you’re on a survival show.

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🕹️ Uleway Senior Phone – big buttons, loud speaker, zero nonsense. Surprisingly chic in an “I don’t check email after 5 p.m.” kind of way.

👉 https://amzlink.to/az0nH2pCZXsW7

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So yes, the dumb phone is back and honestly, I get it. We’re all a bit tired of being “available.” Maybe this is less about rejecting technology and more about reclaiming peace.

As for me, I’ll stay right here surrounded by Bluetooth signals, wearing a ring that tells me when to hydrate, and silently admiring anyone brave enough to go offline.

Because someone has to keep the Wi-Fi on while you’re all being mysterious. 📶😉

From City Buzz to Cotswold Calm: My Soft Life Reset Across Liverpool and Cheltenham Spa

📸 Liverpool, captured by me in 2014 during my “hyper real” photography era—back when everything had to look like it was about to be featured on the cover of a dystopian graphic novel. Still stunning, though.

There comes a point when you’ve stared at the algorithm for too long, cried into your coffee one too many times, and realised the only thing left to do is pack a suitcase and romanticise your life like you’re in a British Netflix original.

So that’s what I’m doing.

Liverpool First: A City With Edge (and Hopefully Less Rain Than Last Time)

The adventure begins in Liverpool a city that’s all music, magic, and unapologetic character. I’ll be there from Wednesday through Saturday, soaking up the atmosphere, the architecture, and possibly trying (again) to ride the infamous duck boat that sank the last time I tried. It’s me vs. mildly cursed tourism, round two.

I’m going First Class on the way there, because if I’m going to spiral about the algorithm, I might as well do it with complimentary snacks and extra legroom. Main character priorities.

Then: Off to Cheltenham Spa (Where I Will Become Cottagecore)

On Saturday, I trade Scouse chaos for Cotswold calm and head to Cheltenham Spa. This is where the linen trousers come out. The gentle walks. The overpriced jam I absolutely don’t need but will definitely buy.

I’ve always imagined the Cotswolds as the kind of place where you write your memoir, fall in love with a goat farmer, or rediscover your inner peace next to a 400-year-old tree. So obviously, I had to go.

The only problem? Saturday’s travel involves two standard class train journeys. I know. I’m already emotionally preparing myself. Unless, of course, the Seatfrog fairies come through and I’m whisked into First Class like the exhausted icon I am.

Why I’m Doing This Now

This isn’t just a holiday. It’s a reset. A deliberate step away from TikTok turmoil and into something that feels more like me. I’ve been running on fumes lately, constantly creating, chasing numbers, and trying to survive another algorithm shift.

So I’m choosing joy. Slow mornings. Soft trousers. Train snacks. Towns that look like postcards. And a little bit of unbothered peace, wherever I can find it.

What’s Coming Up

I’ll be documenting it all, probably in a very “here’s me, blurry, holding a pastry in front of a historic building” kind of way. Expect TikToks, Instagram reels, the odd storytime, and definitely an update on whether I finally got on that duck boat, spoiler alert, it doesn't exist anymore but there's a replacement submersible that doesn't actually sink.

Because sometimes, the only way to fix your for-you-page existential crisis is to leave your house and go be someone else for a while.

And I choose to be someone who gets First Class on the way there and back—and just pretends Saturday isn’t happening.