Can this ancient tech actually make a comeback?
Nowadays, with the reliance on cell phones — landlines seem like ancient technology.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in 2023 that more than three-quarters of Americans ditched their home phone and never looked back — and that number has most likely increased by now.
However, one millennial mom is trying to bring back landlines for a specific reason.
Oregon mom Britteny Mast has two young children, 6 and 8, whom she doesn’t want to give a cell phone to just yet — a decision many of today’s parents have to face.
Instead, for the times that she wants to leave them home alone, but also wants to be able to communicate with them — she decided to install a landline.
In an interview with Today.com, Mast explained her unexpected decision: “We saw this as a way to fill in the gap for these elementary years where we don’t want to give them smart technology quite yet, but we also don’t want to take away their opportunity to learn independence and have a certain amount of freedom as they get older.”
After purchasing an internet-enabled phone rather than an old-school landline — because that was easier to install — Mast and her husband showed her kids how to use it.
“You have to be the one to say hello and things like that. Just basic telephone etiquette they’ve never been taught before because they’ve never had a phone to answer.”
Mast pointed out how dependent her children are on certain things, like using a smartphone for FaceTime — something that obviously can’t be done with a landline.
“They were so used to FaceTiming people that talking on the phone and learning the art of conversation is a skill they have to work on,” the mom of two continued in her interview.
Mast might be onto something because studies have shown that exposing young children to technology — such as iPads — can cause serious behavioral problems.
Children as young as preschool age who know how to use these tech devices may not learn how to manage their emotions properly, which can lead to outbursts and tantrums.
By having preschool-aged children’s faces in front of a screen, research shows that this can affect their academic and social skills because they aren’t interacting with their families.
