PHOTO: Photo by RDNE Stock project: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-talking-on-the-phone-while-sitting-in-a-bathtub-12405518/
In an unexpected twist, the humble landline phone is experiencing a resurgence, and some New Zealand families are embracing this blast from the past. Summer Haycock reinstalled a landline in her Auckland home four years ago, opting for a grey corded phone reminiscent of a bland 1990s office. Initially, it was a safety measure—what if something happened at home and one of her four daughters needed to call 111? Her mobile phone could be out of reach or the battery dead.
Now, the landline has become an alternative to giving her daughters (aged four to 11) a mobile phone. The landline, a $5 add-on to the family’s mobile and internet package, allows Haycock’s daughters and their friends to call each other.
“My daughter is almost 12 and I’m feeling like I want to hold off on getting a smartphone for as long as possible.”
Surprisingly, the things that many of us hated about landlines, kids love. They are delighted with the surprise of not knowing who is calling. They enjoy learning how to answer it or how to call and ask if their friend can speak (some of the girls’ friends also have landlines or use their parent’s mobiles).
“They think it is such a novelty factor, which to me is hilarious,” says Haycock, who remembers her home phone as a teenager and “chatting about nothing until mum kicked you off.”
“It has been quite unexpected and quite fun.”
The Shift in Conversation Around Kids and Smartphones
The conversation around kids, smartphones, and the internet has shifted dramatically in the past 18 months, starting with the National government’s ban on mobile phones in schools at the start of 2024. Midway through last year, the surgeon general, the US government’s top doctor, called for tobacco-style warnings on social media and for kids to have more phone-free time. Research continues to link poor mental and physical health to children with smartphones and social media accounts.
Some parents are bringing back the home phone to avoid the pitfalls of smartphones while still providing an avenue for kids to connect with friends. To be clear, landline connections are majorly declining, according to New Zealand’s telco companies, so these parents are bucking a trend. However, it shows novel ways parents are delaying giving their kids a smartphone.
Rediscovering the Past
Gen Z and Gen Alpha are also rediscovering other nostalgic items: physical magazines are making a comeback, polaroid and film cameras are cool, and 1990s fashion is on trend. Last week, a friend’s kid proudly showed off his Walkman.
Parenting advocate and presenter Holly Jean Brooker said, “I just really like simplifying life for our kids because giving our kids a phone adds more disruption and more distraction.” Instead of an actual landline, Brooker has a “dumb” mobile phone that sits on the kitchen bench at all times. The phone, a Samsung Safe Surfer designed for kids, can only be used for texting or phone calls. Brooker intends to lift those restrictions gradually as her kids get older.
“We actually have some really good chats on the phone,” she added, referring to conversations with her son when she is out, and he is at home.
Taking an Active Role in Kids’ Technology Use
So far, Brooker’s kids have accepted they won’t be getting a phone anytime soon, even though her 13-year-old is the only one in his friendship group without one.
“Culturally it’s really hard to be the outlier and not give your kids a smartphone,” said Brooker, adding that most parents give their kids a phone because they don’t want them missing out on the cornerstone of a modern social life.
Auckland mother Georgia had a landline installed in her home six months ago. Like Haycock, the phone’s primary purpose is for emergencies. The secondary purpose is to give the kids—aged seven, four, and two—a mobile phone alternative for connecting with friends as they get older. She doesn’t intend to give them their own phone anytime soon.
An Auckland mother who is currently building a new home says she is planning to install a home phone so her four boys can stay in touch with friends. The idea was inspired by a trip to the telephone exhibit at Auckland’s Museum of Transportation and Technology.
Addressing the Risks of Smartphone Use
Young people who spend more than three hours a day on social media double their risk of depression and anxiety symptoms, according to a study cited by Dr. Vivek Murthy, the US surgeon general. New Zealanders spend an average of two and a half hours on social media platforms. Many young people report spending seven or more hours on social media each day.
For Brooker, a major wake-up call on the issue of kids and smartphones was a 2018 survey from New Zealand’s Classification Office. It found that two-thirds of New Zealanders aged 14 to 17 had seen pornography, and the vast majority had found it online by accident.
Last year, Brooker helped launch the “Hold the Phone” campaign, encouraging parents to delay or limit their child’s smartphone use. She is also advocating for the government to improve national internet filters to block some sexual imagery, including rape, bestiality, and child pornography, from New Zealand screens.
The Parenting Place chief executive Dave Atkinson says that installing a landline might not be everyone’s approach, but “I think it is great that parents are taking an active role in their kids’ technology.”
The organization recommends delaying giving children a smartphone until year nine but recognizes that might not always be realistic. Parents need to consider what their kids are doing instead, focusing on the “healthy mind platter”: engaging with friends, doing well in school, participating in sports, getting exercise, and spending quality time with the family.