Millennial parents in Canada are revisiting the use of landline phones as a means to balance their children’s need for communication with concerns over unrestricted internet access through smartphones. As smartphones have become nearly ubiquitous among youth—with 77 percent of Canadian children reportedly owning one by ages 11 to 13—some parents are seeking alternatives that allow for direct contact without exposure to the broader digital environment.
The surge in smartphone ownership among children has largely been driven by parental desires to maintain contact and ensure safety as kids gain independence. However, growing evidence suggests that heavier digital-media use correlates with poorer mental health outcomes, prompting some parents to rethink early smartphone access. Instead, they are emphasizing the separation of basic communication needs from unrestricted internet connectivity.
Toronto-based parent Karlina Bear, involved with Unplugged Canada—a national organization advocating for delaying smartphone use until age 14—has opted to provide her eight-year-old daughter with a landline phone. Bear highlights the value of distraction-free, real-time conversations with family members, particularly grandparents, and notes that several of her daughter’s friends have landlines as well, helping to normalize the practice.
Meanwhile, University of Ottawa assistant professor Sachin Maharaj, who studies smartphone use in education, characterizes the challenge of resisting smartphones as a “collective action problem.” His daughter’s landline use was uncommon among her peers, who primarily communicated via text and social media platforms such as Snapchat and Discord. He points out that smartphones differ fundamentally from earlier technologies like television and early internet—both limited by time and place—because they are portable and constantly accessible.
Despite Maharaj’s efforts, his daughter eventually received a smartphone upon entering high school. Yet, some families continue to embrace traditional phones. Toronto mother Katie Ellsworth describes a coordinated effort among parents to shift communication back to landlines. Her son uses the family landline to make plans with friends, while her daughter uses a retro-inspired WiFi-connected landline phone with a cord, a device that has gained popularity and significant sales in North America.
Ellsworth plans to provide her son with a flip phone as he gains independence, reflecting a desire to balance accessibility with limits on digital exposure. She reflects on early mobile phone experiences marked by limited texting capabilities and novelty ringtones, underscoring how communication technologies have evolved.
The movement to revive landlines among millennials as parents is less about nostalgia for a ‘golden age’ and more about reinstating boundaries around communication. Unlike smartphones, traditional phone calls have clear beginnings and endings, offering children a simpler form of interaction without continuous digital immersion.
While parents acknowledge the inevitability of their children adopting advanced technology in time, many are committed to providing a childhood that prioritizes screen-free conversations and controlled connectivity before handing over the full range of internet-enabled devices. This approach reflects a growing trend to rethink how technology is integrated into young people’s lives.