My solution to the internet obsession – and solace in a dark world

Ikeep reading about the benefits of brick phones and landlines by folks who are trying to figure out how to keep the next generation safe from the perils of the internet. My seven-year-old is wonderfully excited about the sound of a brick phone. What’s not to love for a young child? It has the words brick and phone in it.

I’m preparing for the reality of a brick phone – one with basic features so he can stay in contact, but no web access – to land in the next few years for him. The kid ain’t getting his mitts on anything connected to the internet anytime soon.

The revival of the mighty landline (the idea being that it still offers children agency and contact with friends) is something I am much more excited about. Not least because I effectively ran a switchboard as a child, such were th