Gen Alpha social experiment ends with smart ‘dumbphone’ changes

It’s no secret that the nation’s tweens – also known as Generation Alpha* – are following in the footsteps of the preceding* and now adult generation, Generation Z*. As Australia’s second “smartphone generation”, it’s estimated that young Australians are now on their phones on average six hours a day. That’s the same as an entire school day.

Let’s do the maths: six hours a day works out at about 91 days a year.

That’s three months of scrolling and liking and swiping – or a full quarter of each year erased from the best days of most people’s lives.

In The Advertiser newspaper’s 2025 The Great Parent Survey, 25 per cent of parents shared that their kids were spending an hour or less outside each day. And 84 per cent agreed with the social media ban for children under 16.

But what happens when you take young people and get them to replace their smartphone with a “dumb” phone for two weeks, offering nothing more than texting and calls?

The Advertiser decided to find out.

It took the newspaper a staggering three months to even find willing Gen Alpha and Z participants for its social experiment. The Advertiser finally enlisted two members of each group – and even then they were all female.

So what did the two participating Alphas – Leonie Bailleul-Dumenil, 14, and Daisy Kluzek, 13 – think of their Nokia “dumbphone” experience? Let’s find out in their own words.

EXPERIMENT RULES

• Duration: two weeks
• Smartphones could be used for work purposes or in emergencies
• Participants were allowed one hour a day on smartphones in case they needed to check important messages that could only be accessed through social media or apps
• The rest of the time, dumb phone access only

DAISY KLUZEK, 13
“My friends at school freaked out when they saw my Nokia. One even asked: ‘What the hell is that thing?’

“The reactions to my new phone were the best part, and they were even more shocked when I told them I had chosen to give up my smartphone.

“I got my smartphone during Year 6, when I was 11, but did not really start using it until Year 7. YouTube is the main drawcard* for me when it comes to phone use, and I (knew) I (would) miss this access when I (was) on the Nokia.

“When I first started this experiment, I was hoping to get back into reading, but when it first started I did not have anything to read, which made those quiet afternoons after school even more difficult. This is when I would usually be scrolling and without that, life was pretty boring.

“However, as the days ticked on I was able to get into the hobby and by the end had read four-and-a-half books.

“The Ninja game on the Nokia was a plus to the dumbphone and I was able to make it to the top level. But texting is painful, selecting each letter is almost impossible, and I tended to avoid it altogether.

“Over the two weeks, I started to notice that it became easier to do things when I was not worried about my smartphone 24/7. I even started leaving it at home and venturing out with just my Nokia, as I just no longer had a need for it despite it previously being a crucial part of my usual day-to-day.

“Without having the option of phone time, I found myself looking for things to do, and overall I was feeling better. I went to the gym and I did a lot more volleyball, and having the motivation* to do things outside of my screen made me happier overall.

“While there are certain things I look forward to regaining with my smartphone, I do think the one-hour limit is a good idea. And I want to keep the Nokia so I can keep defeating the Ninja game.”

DAILY SCREEN TIME STATS
BEFORE EXPERIMENT: two hours, 30 minutes
AFTER EXPERIMENT: one hour

LEONIE BAILLEUL-DUMENIL, 14
“I would not say I have ever been overly addicted to my phone, sometimes I even skip days on it.

“A smartphone came into my life when I was 12 and now I am on my second model. I downloaded Instagram in the middle of last year and have since developed a love for scrolling.

“Seeing the Nokia was a shock. It had so many buttons – and why was it so loud? When I showed it to my stepsister, she was gobsmacked*. ‘I’m so sorry,’ she said. ‘How could they do this to you?’

“But I could not have cared less about what people thought about my new phone, and it actually was not that bad. By day two, I found myself getting more homework done and was finding the device a lot easier to use and more fun than I expected.

“As the days wore on I found myself enjoying stuff more, and I was less stressed as I found myself unable to procrastinate* with my phone. After five days, I had only spent a maximum of 28 minutes on my usual phone, which was way under the hour a day we were allowed (during the experiment).

“At one point, I even lost my smartphone and didn’t realise until one or two hours later; that was new for me. Mum was happy, too, because all this extra phone-free time meant I was able to clean my room.

“Everything was looking good until the end of the first week. While I am typing faster on the Nokia, I had to download an app on my usual phone for my sports commitments. This, unfortunately, pushed me way over my hour limit. While this was not really my fault, it did knock me off course slightly.

“Two days later, I broke again. This time I just needed a break; I needed to relax and unwind with a comforting scroll. But in better news, on day 10 I was up to my fifth book and was enjoying reading outside more.

“I usually sit in my room and pretend to read while actually going on my phone, but since I lost the smartphone, I even woke up early one morning to squeeze in some reading time before school. Usually in the mornings I am tired from scrolling late at night, so this was a shock.

“Homework was also becoming more fun and I was ahead in my classes. I just felt like I was so much more focused.

“While my time on my phone was decreasing, I was becoming increasingly addicted to Snake.

It’s the retro* game that my mum asked about as soon as she saw the phone, and like many people in her generation, I have discovered how addictive it can be. My highest score was 134, which I am pretty proud of.

“Moving forward, I think I would like to keep some kind of screen time limit … maybe a bit longer than one hour a day, though.”

DAILY SCREEN TIME STATS
BEFORE EXPERIMENT: three hours
AFTER EXPERIMENT: 57 minutes

POLL

GLOSSARY

• Generation Alpha: according to social demographers McCrindle, it refers those born before 2010 and 2024 – they are the first generation to be born entirely in the 21st century
• preceding: the one before
• Generation Z: according to social demographers McCrindle, those born 1995 and 2009
• drawcard: a person or thing that attracts people to a product, event or place
• motivation: enthusiasm for doing something
• gobsmacked: so surprised you cannot speak
• procrastinate: to keep putting off or delaying something that must be done
• retro: relating to styles, fashions, etc. from the past

EXTRA READING

U16 social media ban becomes law

Snapchat included in U16 reforms

AI bots speak their own language

QUICK QUIZ

1. How long did it take the Advertiser newspaper to find four willing participants for the dumbphone experiment?
2. What do all four have in common?
3. What percentage of parents agreed with the social media ban for children under 16?
4. What’s the name of the dumbphone game that Leonie found herself getting addicted to?
5. A quarter of The Great Parent Survey respondents (25 per cent) said what about their kids’ daily behaviour?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Calculate your screen time
Did the statistic that young Australians spend an average of 91 days per year on their smartphones shock you? Do you think this figure is representative of the amount of time you spend on screens?

Design a screen time diary to track the amount of time you spend on devices over the course of a week. You should track all types of screens such as smartphones, televisions, tablets and gaming devices. Keep a record of the types of devices you used, how long you used them for and the reason for use.

At the end of the week, calculate your total screen time. Determine how much of this time was essential (e.g. to communicate with family about important matters, to complete homework, etc.) and how much of this time was non-essential. Also work out how much time this equates to over the course of the year.

Write a reflection upon what you discovered. Are you happy with the amount of time you are spending on screens? Was it what you expected? Do you think it represents good use of your time or would you like to make some changes?

Time: allow 20 minutes to set up, plus 10 mins per day to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Technologies, Personal and Social Capability

2. Extension
Write a list of 10 things you could spend your time on instead, if you were to reduce your screen time.

Time: allow 15 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Personal and Social Capability

VCOP ACTIVITY
Read this!
A headline on an article – or a title on your text – should capture the attention of the audience, telling them to read this now. So choosing the perfect words for a headline or title is very important.

Create three new headlines for the events that took place in this article. Remember, what you write and how you write it will set the pace for the whole text, so make sure it matches.

Read out your headlines to a partner and discuss what the article will be about based on the headline you created. Discuss the tone and mood you set in just your few, short words. Does it do the article justice? Will it capture the audience’s attention the way you hoped? Would you want to read more?

Consider how a headline or title is similar to using short, sharp sentences throughout your text. They can be just as important as complex ones. Go through the last text you wrote and highlight any short, sharp sentences that capture the audience.