The Wisdom of Nokia's Dumbphone

Posted February 28, 2017

External Article: The Atlantic

Ian Bogost, professor in the Ivan Allen College School of Literature, Media, and Communication, wrote “The Wisdom of Nokia's Dumbphone” for The Atlantic.

Excerpt:

They weighed heavy in pockets and jackets and bags, for they were thick and bulky, not lithe and narrow. Harried professionals never clutched one ostentatiously to say silently, “I’ve got better things to do than listen to this pitch or order this coffee.” Fashionable youth never dangled one nonchalantly from fingers as a flirty pique. Nothing was less sexy or less useful than a cell phone.

How is it possible, then, that Nokia has announced an updated edition of one of its most popular phones of the early aughts, the 3310? In short, because nothing has become less sexy or less useful than a smartphone.

For the full article, read here.