In a world dominated by smartphones and social media, some Australian parents are choosing to turn back time by reviving the landline for their children. New brands are jumping onto the trend, promising to keep kids connected without a screen, as families seek alternatives to giving young children smartphones.
Screen-free connection for kids
The Birchalls have been using a landline for the past few months, giving nine-year-olds Jack and Josie a sense of independence without the risks associated with smartphones.
“It’s like stepping back through time. They love it, and it’s also brought a lot of connection with other families that we hadn’t expected,” a family member said.
While traditional landlines not connected to the NBN can still call triple-0 even if the power is out, these modern family phones work over Wi-Fi and can’t call during an outage. However, they do come with other features that appeal to parents.
“There is a parent companion app that goes along with the phone that gives the parent the ability to choose who they call, who can call them, and when the phone’s available to be called,” Landie’s Elspeth and Alfonso Pacheco said.
Nostalgia and practicality
The landline turns 150 this year. In 2017, more than half of Australian adults used one to make calls at home. Last year, it was just 12 per cent.
“We’ve loved having it. I think it’s brought a lot of sense of joy,” one parent said.
“I think the return of the landline’s really interesting because it taps into this trend of nostalgia. We’re seeing more people want more buttons, tactile controls, less screens,” 7NEWS Tech Editor Shaun White said.
