How Switching to a 'Dumbphone' Could Help Your Marriage

Instead of lamenting with her husband over the expense of a dropped and subsequently shattered smartphone, Timothy Kim's wife "screamed for joy."

To Kim's wife, a broken HTC First meant her husband might no longer give in to the irresistible "chirps and buzzes" as he chose to focus on his device instead of her.

Timothy Kim reverted back to an old cellphone and a modern tablet to replace his smartphone when it broke. He said the switch actually improved parts of his social life. (Image source: Shuttterstock)

So in the moment while his smartphone lay in pieces on the bathroom's tile floor, Kim wrote that he "decided to buy a dumbphone for the first time in six years."

Before you start judging Kim, know that he bought a supplementary tablet for "data purposes" too.

The Washington Post developer detailed how this decision not only helped his marriage, but his social life as well.

"I no longer stare at my phone during dinner time or bedtime," he wrote in a recent feature. "I converse more when hanging out with my friends. And my wife is a lot happier. (Happy wife, happy life.)"

Buying a $20 Motorola Razr -- a slim flip phone popular back in the day -- from eBay and a $349 Nexus 7 tablet, Kim was ready to go.

But how is he re-adjusting to old school things like texting on the flip? Kim said instead of using T-9 on the small keypad, he signed up for Google Voice and composes texts through his tablet instead. Sounds a bit inconvenient, but it seems to be an acceptable alternative for Kim.

Kim admitted having to carry two devices is a downside, but acknowledged "being the geek that I am, I used to carry a cumbersome laptop for quick e-mails and tweeting."

"Now, I carry a dumbphone in my pocket and the tablet in my bag," he wrote. "If I really need to do some computing, I take my tablet out of my bag instead of my pocket."

He found that he now tends to check Twitter less, giving him the opportunity to spend "more time with people around me."

Another benefit is that Kim said he spends significantly less money on his mobile device plans now.

But the best part?

"Battery life," he wrote. "These days, you are lucky if your smartphone lasts throughout your workday. But this 7-year old Razr will last up to four days without charging!"

Another benefit that Kim doesn't tout but in light of recent revelations regarding domestic spying and other tracking known to take place on smartphones and through apps, some have touted the ability to remain more off the grid with a "dumb" phone than with the more modern, high-tech variety.

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