In households across the country, an outdated piece of technology is making a comeback.
We are in the grips of a “love affair” with the humble landline, led by a generation of Aussies looking to disconnect.
Jackie Coates, CEO of the Telstra Foundation, told Yahoo News that it is Gen Z taking charge of the nostalgic mode of communication, with younger Australians increasingly searching for ways to reclaim their time and boundaries with their devices.
“It’s definitely not a rejection or return to the pre-digital era,” she explained.
“It’s about finding balance.”
For marketing manager Marina, it was the 28-year-old’s partner who inspired her to disconnect a bit more during her spare time.
“My partner doesn’t have social media; he inspired me to get back into talking on the phone and spending less time on social media,” she told Yahoo News.
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Landlines are ‘popular’ among Telstra customers, the telecommunications giant has said. Source: Tesltra
When she isn’t at work, she deletes her social media apps and uses her spare time to cook nice meals, bake treats, exercise and spend more time with her loved ones.
Coates said it is becoming more common for young people to want to “set healthier limits”, making more time for “analogue experiences”, like picking up the landline phone, journalling or even knitting.
Marina said she would “love to get a landline”.
She moved out of her family home a year ago and has felt comfort hopping on the phone to catch up with her parents — leaning away from a preference to connect via text, social media messaging or even sharing memes.
“For me, there is such a difference between connecting with people over a call on a landline or even a mobile in comparison to just text,” she said.
“There is a pressure to always be connected,” she said.
Letting go of that, she’s found a new freedom.
‘Taking back control’: Young Aussies embracing ‘analogue life’
The omnipresence of the digital world has sparked a newfound resistance to being “connected”.
There’s no denying the negative impacts of being online.
A recent Australian Youth Digital Index survey of over 5,000 people between the ages of eight and 25 found 36 per cent said the internet and devices impacted their sleep.
A further 18 per cent said their health was being negatively impacted.
Coates argued that Australians look to younger generations to lead the way when it comes to how we set boundaries with our technology.
“They are the biggest users of technology, and they are taking back control from constant notifications,” she said.
Landlines are a “popular product” for Telstra users, she said just days after the 150th anniversary of the telephone.
“Its appeal is that it is a really human experience,” she said, adding that phone conversations allow for a deeper connection than speaking via text messages or social media.
“It’s lasted the test of time, 150 years is remarkable that it’s a technology that we love and use.”
“Young people enjoy picking up old phones, I think it plays into not wanting to be always on,” she said.
“There is a lot of appeal with analogue.”
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