Which 'useful tools' is going to be pretty personal, not universal, which is why I acknowledged that an intentionally limited device is probably some kind of aesthetic.
It's hilariously tedious to argue that WhatsApp is obviously required and then some other social communication tool is obviously a waste of time.
Not really. There are really broad shared categories. Nearly all social media is a time suck for nearly everybody. Twitter is a time suck for most but a useful tool for many. Messaging apps are a useful tool for most but a time suck for some. Maps is useful for pretty much everyone. You get the drift; there are few universals, but clear distinctions do exist.
It's some kind of aesthetic, but people used to do fine without digital maps or messaging.