Portland families in the US are combating anxiety by installing landlines that create boundaries, keep conversations in shared spaces, and eliminate distractions like scrolling while talking – teaching children better listening skills while naturally protecting them from online dangers.
In our hyper-connected world, anxiety has become an unwelcome companion for many families. The constant notifications, endless scrolling, and 24/7 availability have created a perfect storm of stress, for both adults and children alike. But in Portland, Maine, a counter-intuitive solution has emerged: the humble landline telephone.
What started as one parent's hesitation about giving her 10-year-old a smartphone quickly evolved into a community movement.
Harvey Publishing has been documenting how this 'retro revolution' isn't just about nostalgia, it's about intentionally creating boundaries in a digital world with few limits.
Unlike smartphones that disappear into bedrooms and bathrooms, landlines require a fixed location. The families in Portland strategically installed their new landlines in central areas of their homes - kitchens, living rooms, and hallways. This simple placement decision had profound effects on family dynamics.
"The phone anchored the kids to communal spaces," explains one Portland parent. "Instead of disappearing for hours with a device, they remained physically present while still maintaining their social connections." This visibility allows parents to casually monitor conversations without invasive snooping, creating a healthy balance between supervision and independence.
Remember the stretchy coiled cords that only reached so far? This physical limitation is actually a feature, not a bug. Children using landlines naturally engage with family members who happen to be nearby, creating spontaneous interactions that wouldn't occur with the private nature of mobile devices.
One of the most striking observations from the Portland experiment was how different phone conversations became without screens involved. When using landlines, the children were physically unable to scroll through social media, play games, or check notifications while talking. This single-tasking approach led to noticeably more engaged conversations.
"I realised my daughter actually listens better on the landline," shared one mother. "On her smartphone, she's often half-present, scrolling through TikTok while we talk. The landline forces her to be fully in the conversation."
This enhanced listening isn't just anecdotal. The Portland families reported that their children really did became "better listeners" when using landlines. By eliminating the visual distractions of smartphones, landlines naturally promote the development of crucial listening skills that many digital natives struggle to develop.
When all you have is voice, you learn to pick up on subtle tones, pauses, and verbal cues that might otherwise be missed when attention is split between talking and scrolling.
What began as one Portland parent's decision quickly spread through a network of families concerned about their children's well-being. Soon, between 15 and 20 households had installed landlines specifically for their preteens to use.
The Atlantic dubbed this movement a 'retro bubble' – a purposeful step backward technologically to move forward socially. Parents coordinated with each other, ensuring their children had friends to call on these new landlines, creating a sustainable communication network that didn't rely on smartphones.
Initially, there was scepticism. Would kids really use landlines when smartphones were the norm? Would they resist this apparent step backward? Parents were primarily concerned about the constant distraction that smartphones presented – the way children could simultaneously talk and scroll, never giving their full attention to either activity.
The solution came through community. By creating a critical mass of families making the same choice, the children had a built-in social network that operated by the same rules. No child was left out because everyone was playing by the same analogue rulebook.
As the experiment progressed, families noticed children adapting to entirely new communication concepts. Kids had to learn to answer a ringing phone without knowing who was calling – a small adventure in itself. They experienced the social navigation of speaking to a friend's parent before reaching their friend, and they began memorising phone numbers rather than relying on stored contacts.
These seemingly minor adaptations created more intentional communication patterns and brought back the excitement of phone calls – the rush to answer with "I'll get it!" and the thrill of hearing "It's for me!"
Perhaps the most compelling benefit of landlines is what they don't do. The inherent limitations of landline technology create a natural barrier against many modern digital dangers. Without internet access, children are protected from online predators, inappropriate content, and the addictive algorithms designed to maximize screen time.
As one Portland parent bluntly put it: "No one can groom or catfish a child via a hunk of plastic attached to the wall."
It's a stark contrast to the concerns of previous generations. Parents in the 80s and 90s worried their teenagers might "run up the bill" with long-distance calls or "tie up the line" for hours. Today's parents face much more serious concerns: cyberbullying, exposure to harmful content, social media anxiety, and online predators.
One unexpected cognitive benefit of the landline revival is the return of number memorisation. Unlike smartphones that store contacts, landlines require users to either memorise important numbers or keep a physical address book. The Portland families found their children quickly committing friends' numbers to memory—an exercise that strengthens neural pathways.
This memory practice has lasting impact. Most adults can still recall their childhood phone numbers decades later, demonstrating how deeply these digits become embedded in our memory. Several parents in the Portland experiment reported still being able to recite their best friends' numbers from their teenage years without hesitation, suggesting these memory skills create enduring neural connections.
Landline conversations develop different social skills than text-based communication. Without emojis, GIFs, or the ability to edit messages before sending, children learn to interpret tone of voice, manage awkward silences, and respond in real-time. All valuable social skills that transfer to in-person interactions.
The Portland experiment revealed how children adapted to new communication concepts: answering a ringing phone without knowing who was calling, speaking briefly with a friend's parent before being connected to their friend, and navigating conversations without visual feedback. These seemingly small adaptations build confidence in verbal communication that many smartphone-native children lack.
The most profound impact reported by the Portland families wasn't about skill development or safety, it was about mental well-being. Parents observed a noticeable reduction in their children's anxiety levels after switching to landlines.
Without the constant pressure of social media, the fear of missing out (FOMO), or the anxiety of awaiting likes and comments, children seemed more present and content. The defined boundaries of landline communication - knowing that friends could only call during reasonable hours and that conversations had clear beginnings and endings - created a sense of security.
These boundaries stand in stark contrast to the always-on nature of smartphone communication, which can feel overwhelming and intrusive. By physically separating the means of communication from personal space and constant availability, landlines re-establish healthy barriers that protect mental health.
The excitement of a ringing landline also brought back something that's been lost in the age of silent notifications - the joy of connection. The familiar phrases "I'll get it!" and "It's for me!" returned to households, bringing with them a sense of anticipation and importance that text messages rarely provide.
The landline experiment in Portland reminds us that sometimes moving backward technologically can move us forward in human connection. By rediscovering the simple joy of hearing a friend's voice without distraction, these families found something valuable that had been lost in our rush toward digital convenience.
While not every family will abandon smartphones for a landline, the lessons from this experiment suggest that intentionally creating boundaries around communication technology can have significant benefits for mental health and family dynamics. Perhaps the future isn't always about adopting the newest technology, but about thoughtfully choosing the right technology for our well-being.
Harvey Publishing examines how these analog approaches to digital-age problems are helping families find balance and connection in an increasingly fragmented world.
For more insights on creating healthier relationships with technology, visit Harvey Publishing's library.
