PERTH, AUSTRALIA / RankWire.AI / – Researchers are increasingly exploring how retro phone accessories impact individuals’ interactions with their devices as part of efforts to create more distance from smartphones. Edith Cowan University researcher Dr Jess Hardley has dedicated over ten years to studying shifting phone habits among Australian users. Her latest research focuses on wall-mounted smartphone docks, classic-style handsets, and other tools designed to limit constant access. The study also investigates daily strategies people employ to make their devices less immediately available.
Hardley documented a variety of practices, including leaving phones in separate rooms and locking them inside drawers. Some individuals also alter their screens to greyscale or impose restrictions on specific apps. For example, one participant stored their phone in a work drawer because mobile gaming was interfering with their concentration. While these actions differ in form, they share a key feature: each creates either a physical or digital obstacle between the user and their device during certain parts of the day.
The research also explores accessories that transform smartphones into devices resembling traditional landline phones. Wall-mounted docks can hold phones in fixed positions instead of pockets or hands, and some connected handsets feature designs reminiscent of old-fashioned home phones, including coiled cords. Hardley’s study includes these products alongside practices like phone-free social gatherings and locking pouches used at concerts. It is important to note that the research does not claim these products improve health, attention, or overall wellbeing.
Various methods of smartphone distancing are emerging
Hardley’s paper discusses the evolution of mobile phones from portable communication tools into multifaceted devices integral to daily life. Modern smartphones now encompass messaging, entertainment, payments, photography, navigation, work-related functions, and internet browsing. Her research emphasizes the changes that occur when users intentionally make these devices less accessible, often by physical separation. The study considers not only physical distancing but also restrictions imposed in homes, workplaces, social events, and shared environments.
Titled Revisiting the ‘Snug Tether’: Smartphones in an Era of Scroll-Free Social Events, Landline Accessories, and Device Bans, the paper appeared in M/C Journal. It revisits earlier studies that examined the close relationship between users and their mobile phones. The current research discusses concepts like phone jails, scroll-free social gatherings, retro accessories, and device restrictions. Edith Cowan University explained that the findings reflect various practices aimed at disrupting the constant proximity that is often linked to smartphone use.
Public spaces also see the adoption of phone restrictions
In Australia, restrictions on smartphone use in public schools have been implemented. Education ministers agreed that all public schools would ban or limit mobile phone usage starting from Term 1 of 2024. Following these measures, federal education authorities cited a survey from New South Wales involving nearly 1,000 principals. The government reported that 87% of respondents noted a decrease in student distractions in classrooms, and 81% observed enhanced learning outcomes since the restrictions were put in place.
Hardley’s study continues to focus on how individuals are managing smartphones as these devices remain central to daily routines. It identifies strategies such as physical separation, decreased accessibility, and the adoption of phone-free environments. Retro handsets and wall-mounted docks are part of this broader effort. The summary of these findings was published by Edith Cowan University on Aug. 18, 2026, contributing to ongoing research into smartphone habits and digital behaviors.