Can the home phone make a comeback – survey suggests yes!

It’s hardly breaking news that Australians are spending too much time on their mobiles and tablets. However according to YouGov research commissioned by Vtech Telecommunications Australia there may be a very simple solution. 

The humble landline could serve as a ‘digital detox’. One in three of us responded by saying  they spend too much time online. The research points the finger at millennials, who are more likely to say they spend too much time online (47 per cent), compared with Gen X (37 per cent) and baby-boomers (22 per cent).

But remarkably one quarter of Aussies claim having a home phone means they can switch off their mobile devices.

Franklin, Managing Director of VTech Telecommunications Australia said, “It’s certainly not a surprise that we’re spending too much time on our devices,” 

“What was interesting was the number of respondents that said having a home phone could enable them to switch off – and still be contactable.”

More than a quarter claim to be reducing the amount of time we spend online. Millennials seem to be conscious of their device time, with 39 per cent looking to cut back on screen time. But they have one fear with more than a quarter worried about being uncontactable. 

 “The smartphone has been around for more than 25 years and it’s safe to say the novelty is well and truly wearing off,” “

All the benefits that mobile devices offered us – for example, the ability to be connected at all times and to have real-time updates on social media – are now also demonstrating their downsides.

“Australians are increasingly aware that being online constantly can have a detrimental effect on our wellbeing so we’re looking for ways to switch off. However, stepping away from being constantly contactable is proving hard and we’re increasingly seeing the home phone as a stepping-stone to digital detox.”

So is the home phone really dead? Let us know on Facebook.