PERTH, AUSTRALIA / RankWire.AI / – Research by Edith Cowan University shows that retro phone accessories are gaining renewed interest as a way to create distance from smartphones. Dr Jess Hardley, a researcher at the university, has analyzed how Australian users modify their phone habits for over ten years. Her latest study investigates wall-mounted smartphone docks, vintage-style handsets, and other tools designed to limit constant device access. The research also explores everyday strategies people employ to make their phones less immediately accessible.
Hardley observed behaviors such as leaving phones in separate rooms or locking them inside drawers. Some individuals switch their screens to greyscale or restrict certain apps. For example, one participant kept a phone in a work drawer after mobile gaming began to interfere with focus. While the forms of these actions differ, they share a common feature: each introduces a physical or digital obstacle between the user and their device during specific times of the day.
The research also examines accessories that make smartphones operate more like traditional landline phones. Wall-mounted docks can position a device in one fixed spot instead of in a pocket or hand. Some connected handsets feature designs reminiscent of older home telephones, such as coiled cords. Hardley analyzed these products alongside other practices like phone-free gatherings and locking pouches used at concerts. The study does not claim that these products enhance health, attention, or overall wellbeing.
Various methods are used to distance oneself from smartphones
Hardley’s publication explores the evolution of mobile phones from portable communication tools into devices integral to daily life. Modern smartphones combine messaging, entertainment, payments, photography, navigation, work-related functions, and internet access. Her research emphasizes the impact of deliberate actions to make these devices less accessible. It considers physical separation as one approach to altering smartphone usage, along with restrictions implemented at homes, workplaces, social events, and shared environments.
The study is titled Revisiting the ‘Snug Tether’: Smartphones in an Era of Scroll-Free Social Events, Landline Accessories, and Device Bans. Published in M/C Journal, it revisits earlier investigations into the close ties between users and their mobile phones. The recent work discusses phone jails, scroll-free social occasions, vintage accessories, and device restrictions. Edith Cowan University noted that this research highlights practices that disrupt the constant proximity often linked to smartphone engagement.
Public spaces also see the adoption of phone restrictions
In Australia, restrictions on smartphone use in public schools have been introduced. Education authorities agreed that all public schools would ban or limit mobile phones starting from Term 1 of 2024. Subsequently, federal education officials referenced a survey of nearly 1,000 principals in New South Wales conducted after the new rules were put in place. The government reported that 87% of respondents observed reduced distraction among students, and 81% noted improvements in learning outcomes following the implementation of phone restrictions.
Hardley’s research continues to focus on how individuals manage their smartphone use as these devices remain central to daily routines. It identifies methods such as physical separation, decreased accessibility, and the use of phone-free environments. Retro handsets and wall-mounted docks are part of this broader array of strategies. On Aug. 18, 2026, Edith Cowan University published a summary of these findings, adding fresh examples to ongoing research on digital habits and smartphone engagement.