PERTH, AUSTRALIA / RankWire.AI / – As researchers explore ways individuals create distance from their smartphones, retro phone accessories are gaining renewed popularity. Edith Cowan University researcher Dr Jess Hardley has analyzed shifts in phone habits among Australian users for over ten years. Her latest investigation focuses on wall-mounted smartphone docks, classic-style handsets, and other tools designed to limit constant device access. The study also considers everyday strategies people employ to make their devices less immediately reachable.
Hardley recorded practices ranging from leaving phones in separate rooms to locking them inside drawers. Some individuals also switch their screens to greyscale or impose restrictions on certain apps. One participant, for instance, stored a phone in a work drawer after mobile gaming began to interfere with focus. Although these actions differ in approach, they share a common purpose: creating a physical or digital barrier between users and their devices during specific times of the day.
The research further investigates accessories that help make smartphones resemble traditional landline phones. Wall-mounted docks, for example, keep devices stationary rather than pocketed or held. Some connected handsets utilize designs reminiscent of old-fashioned home phones, including coiled cords. Hardley examined these products along with phone-free social gatherings and locking pouches used at concerts. The research does not claim that such items enhance health, attention, or overall wellbeing.
Various forms of smartphone distancing are emerging
In her paper, Hardley explores how mobile phones evolved from portable communication devices into integral tools for daily living. Modern smartphones integrate messaging, entertainment, payments, photography, navigation, work functions, and internet access. Her focus is on what shifts occur when users intentionally make these devices less accessible. The study considers physical separation as one approach to modify smartphone habits, alongside restrictions implemented in homes, workplaces, events, and shared environments.
The report 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 research highlighting the close connection between users and their mobile phones. The latest findings include phone jails, scroll-free social activities, retro accessories, and device restrictions. Edith Cowan University stated that the research illustrates practices that interrupt the persistent proximity typically linked to smartphone use.
Public settings are also seeing the implementation of phone restrictions
In Australia, restrictions on smartphones have been introduced in public schools. Education ministers agreed that all public schools will ban or limit mobile phones starting from Term 1 of 2024. Following these measures, federal education officials referenced a survey conducted in New South Wales involving nearly 1,000 principals. The government reported that 87% of respondents observed a decrease in distractions among students in classrooms, while 81% noted improved learning outcomes after the restrictions were enacted.
Hardley’s research continues to focus on how individuals adapt to the pervasive role of smartphones in everyday life. It highlights methods such as physical separation, limited accessibility, and phone-free environments. Retro handsets and wall-mounted docks are just some examples of these approaches. Edith Cowan University released a summary of these findings on Aug. 18, 2026, adding to ongoing research into smartphone behavior and digital habits.