Single-purpose gadgets are helping some people step away from doomscrolling

Some people are swapping do-everything smartphones for single-purpose gadgets such as iPods and digital cameras. The response is wonderfully low-tech: keep music and memories, remove the endless feed. Users told ITV News that fewer distractions helped them feel more productive, present and less anxious.

The market signals are chunky. Back Market reported iPod Shuffle sales up 453% year on year, while eBay searches for classic iPods rose 31% in the UK between January 2025 and January 2026. A YouGov study found 27% of people felt their media consumption harmed wellbeing.

The useful idea is not to reject technology, but to choose tools with boundaries built in. A music player cannot suddenly lure you into forty minutes of strangers arguing. That makes intentional use easier than relying only on willpower.

Sales growth does not prove better mental health, and nostalgia explains some demand: 43% of Back Market retro-gaming customers cited sentimentality. Old devices can be expensive, awkward to repair and less convenient.

This is a promising personal tactic, not a population-level cure for digital harm.

Stay tuned for Gilbert's experiment on trying to go 90 days without a smartphone.