‘It only does one thing’: Why some are bringing back landlines

Digital media professor Richard Lachman says parents are switching back to landlines as a way to promote ‘intentionality’ with time and technology.

For years, smartphones have replaced traditional home phones, offering constant connectivity and convenience. But some people are now reconsidering that trade-off, bringing landlines back into their homes as they look to reduce distractions and create clearer boundaries around family time.

Richard Lachman, a digital media professor at Toronto Metropolitan University’s RTA School of Media and author of Digital Wisdom: Searching for Agency in the Age of AI, said the shift is less about nostalgia than regaining control over how people spend their time.

Reassessing technology at home

In an interview with CTV Your Morning, Lachman said many families are beginning to question whether constant connectivity is improving their lives.

“There are features of things that we gave up in the name of progress that ended up not being how we want to live our life just because it felt like it was the latest technology,” he said.

Lachman said some households are creating phone-free routines, such as leaving smartphones in a designated spot during family meals.

“It’s a gateway to think about what you want for your kids too, what you want for yourself, which is control of how you spend your time, intentionality,” he said.

Why landlines appeal

Unlike smartphones, Lachman said landlines perform a single function, helping people avoid the distractions that often come with mobile devices.

“It only does one thing. It’s a single purpose device,” he said, adding that unlike digital devices when you call someone, “you aren’t doing 5 different things at the same time.”

Lachman said many people are not abandoning smartphones altogether but are choosing when to use them.

“I have my smart phone for these moments, and then at these moments, family time, I put it away. So, it’s just a matter of exuding control and I still have it when I need it,” he said.

A broader shift in digital habits

Lachman said the renewed interest in landlines reflects a wider conversation about balancing technology with well-being.

“We want to be deliberate about it a little… We’ve had this unrelenting feeling that next is better,” he said.

Lachman added that many people are realizing that while digital tools offer benefits, constant interruptions can come at a cost.

“That distraction is not a value. So, yes, I like staying in contact, I like information, I like media (but) I’m gonna treat it the way I do junk food sometimes,” he said. “I know that I’m gonna use them these times and stay away from them at other times for my health.”