PERTH, AUSTRALIA / RankWire.AI / – Research conducted by Edith Cowan University reveals that strategies to limit smartphone access are increasingly common as researchers explore how individuals create boundaries from their devices. Dr Jess Hardley, a researcher at ECU, has been studying the shifting behaviors of Australian phone users for more than ten years. Her latest investigation focuses on wall-mounted smartphone docks, vintage-style handsets, and other devices designed to minimize continuous engagement. The study also considers daily actions people take to make their phones less readily accessible.
Hardley has documented various tactics, from leaving phones in separate rooms to locking them away in drawers. Some participants modify their screens to greyscale or set restrictions on certain apps. For instance, one individual stored a phone in a work drawer after mobile gaming started interfering with their focus. While these practices differ in form, they share a common feature: each creates a physical or digital barrier that reduces immediate access to the device during specific parts of the day.
The research also explores accessories that make smartphones function more like traditional landline phones. Wall-mounted docks can hold a device in a fixed position, avoiding pockets or hand-holding. Some of these connected handsets resemble older home phones, with features like coiled cords. Hardley examined these products along with phone-free social gatherings and locking pouches used at concerts. However, the research does not claim that such items improve health, attention, or overall wellbeing.
Various methods for distancing from smartphones
Hardley’s publication investigates how mobile phones have evolved from portable communication tools into integral parts of everyday life. Modern smartphones combine messaging, entertainment, digital payments, photography, navigation, work functions, and internet access. Her research emphasizes how deliberate changes—such as making these devices less convenient to reach—affect user behavior. Physical separation is one approach documented in the study, alongside restrictions implemented at homes, workplaces, events, and shared spaces.
The paper is titled Revisiting the ‘Snug Tether’: Smartphones in an Era of Scroll-Free Social Events, Landline Accessories, and Device Bans. Published in M/C Journal, it revisits earlier research on the close connection between users and their mobile phones. The current study examines phone jails, social events without scrolling, retro accessories, and device restrictions. Edith Cowan University noted that the research highlights practices aimed at breaking the persistent proximity often linked with smartphone use.
Public settings also see the implementation of phone restrictions
In Australia, restrictions on smartphone use in public schools are now in effect. Education ministers agreed that all public schools would either ban or limit mobile phones starting from Term 1 of 2024. After these rules were enacted, federal education officials referenced a survey of nearly 1,000 principals in New South Wales. The government stated that 87% of respondents observed fewer distractions among students in classrooms, while 81% reported enhanced learning outcomes following the introduction of phone restrictions.
Hardley’s research continues to focus on how individuals manage their smartphones as these devices remain central to daily routines. It highlights physical distancing, decreased accessibility, and phone-free environments as common strategies adopted by users. Retro handsets and wall-mounted docks are part of this broader trend. On August 18, 2026, Edith Cowan University published a summary of these findings, contributing to ongoing studies on digital habits and smartphone use.