PERTH, AUSTRALIA / RankWire.AI / – Research conducted by Edith Cowan University highlights how efforts to limit smartphone use are influencing daily habits, especially as people seek ways to distance themselves from their devices. Dr Jess Hardley, a researcher at ECU, has analyzed changing behaviors among Australian users over more than ten years. Her recent investigation focuses on items like wall-mounted smartphone stands, classic-style handsets, and other tools designed to lessen constant device interaction. The study also looks into routine measures individuals adopt to make their phones less immediately accessible.
Hardley documented strategies such as leaving phones in separate rooms, locking them away in drawers, switching screens to greyscale, or restricting certain apps. One participant reported storing a phone in a work drawer after mobile gaming began to interfere with concentration. These methods differ in form but share a core purpose: creating a physical or digital barrier that limits device access during specific times of the day.
The research also explores accessories that transform smartphones into devices resembling traditional landline phones. Wall-mounted docks help keep a device fixed in one place rather than in a pocket or hand, and some connected handsets employ designs reminiscent of older home telephones, including coiled cords. Hardley examined these products alongside phone-free social gatherings and locking pouches used during concerts. The research does not claim that such items enhance health, focus, or wellbeing.
Methods of distancing from smartphones take various forms
Hardley’s publication explores how mobile phones have evolved from simple portable communication tools into multifaceted devices used throughout daily life. Smartphones now encompass messaging, entertainment, payments, photography, navigation, work applications, and internet access. Her research emphasizes the changes that occur when users intentionally make these devices less convenient to access. Physical separation, whether through placing phones out of reach or restricting usage in certain environments, is viewed as a key strategy for modifying smartphone behavior. The study also considers limitations implemented at home, work, events, and shared spaces.
The paper, titled Revisiting the ‘Snug Tether’: Smartphones in an Era of Scroll-Free Social Events, Landline Accessories, and Device Bans, was published in M/C Journal. It revisits earlier research into the close relationship between users and their mobile phones. The latest findings include discussions of phone jails, social events without scrolling, retro accessories, and device restrictions. Edith Cowan University notes that this research reflects practices aimed at disrupting the constant proximity often linked to smartphone use.
Public spaces are also seeing restrictions on phone use
In Australia, restrictions on smartphone use in public schools have been introduced. From Term 1 of 2024, all public schools are required to ban or restrict mobile phones. Following this implementation, federal education authorities referenced a survey from New South Wales involving nearly 1,000 principals. The government announced that 87% of respondents observed reduced distraction among students in classrooms, and 81% noted improved learning outcomes after the restrictions were put into place.
Hardley’s research continues to focus on how individuals manage smartphones as they remain integral to everyday routines. The study highlights methods such as physical separation, limited accessibility, and the use of phone-free environments. Retro handsets and wall-mounted docks are part of the wider array of practices identified. On August 18, 2026, Edith Cowan University published a summary of these findings, adding fresh examples to ongoing research into digital habits and smartphone use.