By Michaela Gordoni
One Oregon mom is bringing home phones back.
Britteny Mast, a mom of two, said she and her husband didn’t want to give their kids their own cellphones but still wanted them to have a tele-social life. And a home phone filled that gap.
“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,” she said.
She says her 6 and 8-year-old were used to communication through FaceTime, so phone conversations have been a learning curve for them.
“It was funny to me to realize how dependent our kids had become on FaceTime,” Mast said. “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.”
Mast shared the home phone number with family members, who were amused at her idea.
She insisted they add the number to their contact list, “or else they’ll think it’s spam.” Mast also asked the family to be patient with the kids as they learn phone etiquette.
“They’re still trying to figure out what to do,” she said.
The kids love using the phone.
“At first it was a fun toy,” Mast shared. “We showed them what to do when you answer the phone. 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.”
“We don’t have anything against technology,” she added. “The smart devices with the internet connections are what we are still trying to avoid.”
@ubreakifix Replying to @nicolekawa2 If we’re bringing back landlines… bring on those long cords and start memorizing numbers again ☎️ #landline #retrophone #nostalgia
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While parents are enjoying the less techy aspects of home phones, they’re popular with Gen Z because of the aesthetic.
“One of my first memories is the tan landline that my parents had mounted to the kitchen wall,” one 24-year-old landline owner said. “I always fantasized about the day I’d have one in my own room.”
“Having a landline really bridges that gap between reality and my childhood fantasy. I feel like the main character in my favorite TV shows — ONE TREE HILL, THE OC, GILMORE GIRLS — when I use it,” she added.
She explained that as an influencer, it feels like an “escape” to use the old tech. Another Gen Z phone owner shared similar sentiments.
“I really loathe cellphones, because everyone cancels at the last minute these days through text, which I find so absurd,” said 27-year-old Sam Casper. “…Whenever I hear my phone ringing, I get so giddy. I love to just sit there and talk and twirl the little cord.”
Landlines are also coming back for another reason — network outages.
Last year, an AT&T shortage led to thousands without service for over 12 hours. Besides internal issues, natural disasters also cause issues for cell users.
After witnessing the effects of a 2011 tornado outbreak that took 250 lives and wiped out power for days, one Alabama resident said she keeps her landline in case of emergencies.
“The weather here is so unpredictable,” she told CNET this year. “We remember a day when it was absolutely necessary to have [the landline].”
Whether it be for weather precaution, nostalgia or to take the “smart” out of the phone, it seems like home phones may still have a place in the world.
Read Next: Erin Napier Shares Personal Reason Behind Why Her Daughters Don’t Have Phones
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