Digital Detox with Barbie: Special flip phone is designed to help combat media addiction

The European cell phone manufacturer HMD is cooperating with the toy company Mattel. Both companies want to bring the “Barbie Flip Phone” onto the market this summer. HMD announced this at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The cell phone should exude vintage flair and do justice to the Barbie look in pink and glitter.

However, the Barbie cell phone is not just a gimmick; the feature phone is intended to help with digital withdrawal. According to a press release from HMD Global, 38 percent of 16 to 24 year olds feared that they spend too much time on their smartphones. In the USA, a third of Generation Z are trying to actively limit their time on social networks.

That’s why feature phones are on the rise, limiting access to the Internet on a technical level. According to HMD, flip phone sales in Europe doubled between 2022 and 2023, and further growth is expected for 2024.

Celebrities like Michael Cera are now actively opting for a flip phone life. Experiments with students in Denmark have shown that the use of feature phones brings some advantages. The students talked to each other more again, and they also reported better sleep and reduced levels of anxiety.

Appearance and exact date still unknown

We don’t yet know what exactly the Barbie phone will look like. But it will probably be reminiscent of a classic push-button flip phone from the 2000s. Mattel and HMD did not mention the exact release date.

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