No Phones? No Problem

<p>Dumbphones are a popular recommendation for people looking to reduce their screen time, but it’s not as simple as it looks. When writer Stephanie Murray made the switch, while she found it did solve many of <em>her</em> problems, it <em>created</em> them for pretty much everyone else around her. On today’s show, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Murray, who <u><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/16/opinion/dumbphone-smartphone-friendship.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">wrote about her experience</a></u> for <em>The New York Times</em>, to discuss how the outside world is also too smartphone-dependent, and what people should know before taking the dumbphone plunge. </p><br><p>This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay, with help from Kevin Bendis. </p><p>Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our <a href="https://slate.com/podcastfaqs#plusbenefits" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQ</a> at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required.</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>