45 yr old dad here. I am super inspired by the young people. I’ll be switching to a flip phone soon. Well done

Major credit to these kids. They'll be so much better off than the rest of their peers, truly. Social media is corrosive on the human soul and mind.

Good for them, I'm so addicted to my phone it's shameful! I need a Luddite club!

luddite club is amazing. nice to meet you, My name is Mikan Oshidari（忍足みかん🍊♥）, a Japanese essayist. I am publishing a book called [I want to stop being a slave to my smartphone]. I switched to a flip phone because of my smartphone addiction. It's good for your mental health. Some people say it's strange or that I'm in the minority, but I'm comfortable using a flip phone. But I'm afraid that flip phones will no longer be manufactured or distributed. I think it would be good if the benefits of flip phones were communicated more. Flip phones are necessary for mental health. Thank you for the wonderful video

I used to do Screenless Sundays when I got my first smart phone in 2011 at 23. I knew then that this product was dangerous. Kudos to these kids getting it and overcoming the zeitgeist.

I am glad to know that there are still such wise people in this world. Well done!

This is a great idea. Warms my heart. In middle school through college (about ‘86-‘95) there was obviously no internet-based distraction. But I went through a period during which I’d go to movies, and rent them, but didn’t really watch TV. I didn’t really “do tech” other than using my Mac to write papers. I read so much during these years. King, John Irving, various biographies. I’d stay up late reading with no FOMO feeling… no lurking feeling that something “important” was happening on social media. Kids today are plagued by that. It’s so cool that these kids recognize that there’s more to life than the generally petty stuff flying at us from our phones 24/7. And as a 50 year old, I also feel the pull of social media. I use Twitter and TikTok, often way too frequently, especially when I’m tired and feeling unmotivated. But I too put my phone down and read books. It’s amazing that some young people can do this. I read an article about these kids. The founder said social media was changing her brain chemistry and making her less happy. So she stopped.

i think we’re starting to see a pattern here. A part of me really wants this group to become the next really big trend in response to social media like Tiktok (who at this point i think its really clear that it is becoming a very unhealthy habit). i have big hopes pls luddit club don’t just disappear out of nowhere!!! (also if anyone know how we can support them, other than just uninstall social media apps, pls let me know)

THANK GOODNESS I HOPE THIS CATCHES ON

This give me chills on my spine. It's hope for humanity.

Thank you for reporting on this Lynn. I also came across this via Yahoo a few days ago. I think this may be one of the most important social movements of the last 10-20 years. I think it will be in textbooks one day 50 years from now. By then, I think there would be like-minded people who've decided to raise their families in small townships throughout the US and elsewhere, completely forgoing social media. This is a step toward a more utopian future. A future with a much healthier relationship with technology. Very refreshing, thank you for reporting on this

This gives me hope.

I'm so proud of them. I hope my kids can do the same.

Very cool that unplugging is starting to gain more traction, but I think the class dynamic here is often overlooked. These kids live in NYC and can access places to go and things to do with much less difficulty than people from atomized, isolated suburbs where you can’t see your friends, much less do anything with them, without long drives to public spaces. Constant use of technology is often the only way to communicate with people outside of school and organized activities. Smartphones suck for sure but this neo-Luddite movement will remain reserved for the urban upper middle class if the way we build and arrange suburban and rural communities doesn’t change.

Hi 👋🏾 here from Jamaica 🇯🇲 this is so amazing. I wish I had a club like that here mane this technology thing is so draining 😩.

These kids are goals!

Hats off to these amazing young people! This has made me so happy. I hope we see more people do the same. Well done!

I am 27. I don't think I would be alive if I didn't have my phone. People my age aren't making friends. No one has time to make a new friend. I had to get rid of every single friend I had because everyone started doing drugs that flooded into the area all of a sudden, and my best friend killed himself due to it and that's when I got rid of all my friends. So I haven't a friend since I was 20 years old. I have tried so hard to make new friends both in person at community college and through social media but I haven't been able to get a single person to continue talking to me for more than a day. There's a part of me that thinks this is because of phones that people are like this. But I also think if I didn't have a phone that there would be zero chance of me ever finding a friend. I am basically living in solitary confinement. I say that because I am inside 24/7 with no where to go and nothing to do, and I am alone, and it's not by choice. It really feels like I am being forced to be alone by everyone else because no one will give me the time of day. These kids are at the age where you don't have to make friends, they just happen. I used to be popular so I know how that is. I am really glad that they have found a group like this because if you don't have any friends when you enter your 20's, it's going to be impossible to make any. I am not sure why people have become so selfish. I do know that it has at least a little bit to do with social media and phones. But I am not sure what else is causing people to be so unconcerned with other people. Maybe it's because people forget that the person talking to you on facebook messenger is a real living human being and not just an app.

This warms my heart to see these kids living their lives!

What a gold mine. This topic exlains why the video is not much viewed

great job lynn! solid reporting!

Smartphones playlist: kzfaq.info/sun/PLnkhjkRyBrHYiQThZAvOQp4ya0deIykMI

the irony. we are all watching this on screens.

New generation will soon undestand that they are caged into little cells and will eventually break on through to freedom.

These guys are great, I will try to implement a similar club in Egypt

Honestly this is awesome. I pray more and more people do this. I deleted Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok because it was destroying me. I am so much happier and less stressed. I am trying to do more digital minimalism.

these kids inspired me to delete all social media off of my phone and my mental state has improved so much

Scouting - we used to enjoy offline before it became trendy. ;-)

Brilliant, kids!🔥❤️ kudos!! 🎉

AWESOME!!!!

i am probably 1.5 years without socials now well i do have youtube so probably should get rid of this too and it's been great. I'd never go back

I was one of the last kids to get a cell phone. I was 16 or 15 I can't remember. Point is, I was outgoing, extraverted. Now I'm antisocial. Part of that's on me, but also people never getting off their phones.

Do you remember talking to people and saying what you’ve been doing instead of posting photos online. So cool

Pagers need to come back next. (yes they are still available)

it's sad that im escaping the reality by using the internet too. i wish i could have friends in real life, especially like those. i wish them well

I really wish my town had something like this 😭

I wish my school had this club

Probably the happiest kids at that school

woah this is awesome

yes

I’m buying a flip phone. I’ll have my smartphone forward to it automatically. I’ll keep the smart phone, but I’m going to cut back hopefully 80% or so . Everyone should too.. these teens are doing a world of good

I don't even hang out with anyone anymore. I have no friends pretty much. Every time I hung out with them in the past, everyone's on their phone. It's pointless hanging out with people.

i wish i could be in a group like this

Cell phones need to be banned if we are going to save our mental health. I haven't used one in the better part of a year and have also been doing things like writing and other arts instead, and my mental health and life are improving.

❤❤❤❤❤

Where do I sign up

These kids have done what I've trying to do for the last 5 years!

im 15 myself, i do think its a wonderful idea, but i don't understand a lot about this. why would they use flip phones instead of iphones / androids etc when the main focus of what they do not want is social medias? why can't they keep their phones and just deactivate their social media accounts? i feel like a lot of these people think theyre superior because they don't use social media and are "old school" when theyre not. theyre no superior to anyone else. Plus, SO SO SO many kids my age do things exactly like they do, go out and hike, shop, visit places... i dont know why people treat it like people mostly socialize online or with phones nowadays when that just plain isn't true. i don't like social medias honestly, but idk man...

I’m 60 and I’m sure there onto something. May I suggest penning your correspondence by hand with a fountain pen, then lick the stamp. It’s awesome and you’ll develop beautiful penmanship.

why are all of them so well-dressed!!!

Haloo I'm from Indonesia, I really support what you do

I think it's easier when your entire friend group has flip phones. I contemplate doing this but a majority of my friends prefer using whatsapp so I worry that we'll be less in touch...

omg can I join??? I live in nyc

But who is recording this???

Don’t show Wes Anderson this video. 😂😂

What's the name of those phones?

Any of yall know what phones their using? I'd love to downgrade mine!

Based

There's a 9/10 chance that these kids will become obnoxious adults when they grow up.

Lord of the rings 2 right here.

🇧🇷

Lmao 😅😅😅😅 wtf

i wanna join PLS

Disagree with them but it’s there choice.

All power to them. As long as they're not bothering anybody and aren't imposing their decision onto others they should be able to do whatever makes them happy. The simple fact though is they are on the wrong side of history. Imagine kids in the 20's refusing to listen to the radio. Imagine kids in the 50's refusing to watch tv. Imagine kids in the 90's refusing to use the internet. They would have been distancing themselves from the modern wonder that had just been created. That is exactly what is happening here. 1 day they will look back and wish they had been on social media. They think they're creating a great movement but in the end all they're doing is making themselves social outcasts.

Boring

Are you opening International Ludite Club? 🥹