‘We need to go places and touch things’: the people turning away from smartphones

Disquiet over social media addiction is leading to a growing enthusiasm for Polaroids, postcards and the physical and analogue world

For Bea, it was moments like finding herself scrolling though the news on the toilet that made her feel the need to reassess her relationship with her phone.

The 37-year-old from London had began to feel uncomfortable with the way pinging notifications and the urge to pick up her phone were encroaching on her life. So when her iPhone broke, over a year ago, she decided it was time to switch to a device that allowed her to stay in touch with others while minimising distractions.