NYC parents revive landline phones to reduce kids' screen time without losing social connections
Some families in New York City are reconnecting their landline phones as parents look for new ways to help kids unplug from screens and social media.
A group in Queens has banded together to revive the technology that most people hung up on for good to give their children a simpler way to socialize.
A crash course in old technology
Sharon Paculor, a mother from Astoria, said the idea to revive landlines started as "kind of a joke," but the group thought it would be fun if their children could call friends the same way they did as kids.
"We hear a lot about how social media or just the addiction to screens has had an adverse effect," said Sharon Paculor, a mother from Astoria. "There are some good things still from the past that we can still use today."
First, the children needed an introduction to the "ancient" relic.
"We had a playdate and the phone started ringing, and then the kids were like, 'What is that!?'" Paculor said.
Her son also needed a crash course in how to work the wired, non-smartphone.
"It's just hilarious because we just assumed he knew how to use a phone and clearly he didn't," she said. "He didn't know how to put the receiver on his mouth ... dialing a phone ... memorizing phone numbers."
Nostalgia with fewer notifications
Paculor said her son has been gaining valuable skills ever since, like phone etiquette, speaking clearly and intentional listening.
"Not to be the good ole' days, but there are certain skills and things that we learn growing up that we're in danger of losing if we don't find ways to substitute the screens," said Adams Koch, a father from Astoria.
Since the first playdate, more kids in the neighborhood have been getting excited to pick up the cord, too.
"I don't think we should have a cellphone because I don't want my brain to rot," said one of the children.
The parents are enjoying the nostalgia, with fewer notifications.
Most Americans are 100% wireless
Before FaceTime or text messages, landline phones rang in kitchens and living rooms across America, but they've been quietly disappearing over the last decade.
As of 2023, more than 75% of adults in the U.S. are strictly wireless, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Evyn Moon contributed to this story.