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I adore being a mother. But it has left me in an endless doom spiral full of existential dread. Reading Jonathan Haidt's The Anxious Generationlast year did very little to help, nor did poring through books on the difficulties of raising boys (Low attention spans! Excessive gaming!). The state of the world and the looming upheaval AI could have on the job market don't help.Now, mind you, my kids are only four and six. I should probably chill out about their job prospects, but I don't thrive in uncertain times, which we are certainly in. That said, I do think there's something to be said for laying foundations for healthy habits, especially around technology. I was the mom who didn't let my kids watch TV until they turned two, and I have no shame toward parents who made different decisions, nor do I regret mine.With that said, this winter, my family's screen time went off the rails. The weather and various health issues forced us to prioritize survival. Star Wars, Bluey and YouTube videos about Monster Trucks, squirrels and trains were nice oxygen masks. As the ground literally thawed and we started to emerge from perpetual triage mode on the home front, it was time to make shifts. But change is hard, and, for some reason, my kindergartener had four straight Fridays off from school.Determined to stop using screens as a crutch, I jumped at the chance to try out Tin Can Landline. I hoped it would let my kids feel grown-up, joyful and connected without vegging out (nothing wrong with that sometimes, but I was done blowing through my usual limits for them). Did it work? Scroll on for my honest review of the Tin Can phone.Related: ‘I Tried a Brick To Spend Less Time on My Phone—and I’m Not Sure How I Ever Lived Without It’
What Is Tin Can, Exactly?
Courtesy Beth Ann Mayer
The Tin Can landline is a "dumb phone," which is the name people use for analog phones or non-smartphones. Or, as Millennials, Gen-X and Boomers may call them, "the phones of our youth." It's a screen-free landline that uses modern technology (aka Wi-Fi).
The aim is to create a safe way for kids to connect that doesn't become overstimulating. There are no apps, games, texting capabilities, internet browsing or other things that can make smartphones and computers unsafe (because of very real issues like sextortion and cyberbullying), addictive and overstimulating.
Right now, the sixth "batch" of Tin Can phones are available for pre-order and cost $100 each. As the site explains, "Tin Can comes with free, unlimited calls to other Tin Cans, no subscription needed. It also includes 1 free month of our Party Line Plan, so you can talk with approved contacts who have regular phones."
How Tin Can Works
Courtesy Beth Ann Mayer
The Tin Can landline is bringing the analog phone experience back, which is totally on-trend this year, as adults lean into analog hobbies like puzzles and coloring. Here's how the Tin Can works.
An internet connection is required. The phone connects to your home Wi-Fi (you cannot use it in airports or hotels with public Wi-Fi). The Flashback model (currently unavailable) plugs into your router (Tin Can provides the Ethernet cable) and into a wall plug. The Tin Can (which we tried and is available for pre-order) plugs into the wall, and you use the app to connect to the Internet.Putting power in parents' hands. There are safety controls, including set phone hours and the ability to turn on or off 911 calling. You can approve contacts and view call logs.No apps, gaming or texting. It's a "dumb," screen-free phone.It has some cool features, though. Kids can put people on speed dial and speaker phone to simplify their experience.Related: I Stopped Looking at My Phone Before Bed for 30 Days and I Was Honestly Surprised by the Results
Setting up the Tin Can: First Impressions
Courtesy Beth Ann Mayer
I'll admit that I am often a little wary about trying new things and setting them up, but that's what my husband is for—just kidding, I helped a little. It actually wasn't that challenging to set up the Tin Can.
First, we unboxed it. The sunny yellow color was a breath of fresh air. After briefly smiling over the colorway, we plugged it in, then I scanned a QR code. It took me to the app where I got to "set the rules" for my kids.
I personally deactivated 911. I understand why some parents would want it. It can literally be life-saving, and many parents get their kids smartphones at a young age just in case there is an emergency. The Tin Can can help alleviate those fears, sans apps, videos and games. But my four-year-old asked if he could speak to a firefighter as I was setting it up, and that was a clear sign that we are not ready for 911 dialing privileges.
I also set the hours, cutting them off before my kids' bedtime. We planned to monitor all uses of the landline, but parents of tweens and teens may want to give their children privacy.
The QR code worked just fine for me. But if you don't have one or are having issues, you can plug "activate.tincan.kids" into a browser and go through the steps that way.
Then, we got to select a phone number for our kids. They got a traditional-looking number. But to call another Tin Can, they'd need to use a separate 10-digit number. It was a touch confusing at first.
We got two Tin Cans so that we could give one to each child and test out what it was like to call from a landline.
You can select from two plans for your child's Tin Can. Both options allow for 911 calling if you activate it. The free version my family used is the Can 2 Can plan. As the name implies, you can call other Tin Cans for free. The pros are that it's free and gives you and your family the benefit of a screen-free device. The con is that your child's friends or other family members must have a Tin Can.
The Party Line plan lets you call other family and friends on their regular landlines or cell phones. It costs $9.99 per month. Parents must approve callers—kids can't just start dialing carte blanche.
Related: We Asked 3 Child Psychologists What Phrase To Avoid With Kids—They All Said the Same Thing
My Family's Experience
Courtesy Beth Ann Mayer
If there was ever a sign that we needed a break from apps and videos that offer instant gratification with no effort, it was the setup process. My kids were stoked to have a phone but wanted it ASAP. Remember the days of dial-up internet? How would they have survived?
That said, I thought the setup was pretty straightforward, and I am someone who gets anxious about figuring out new things that involve wires and Internet connections.
I appreciated the controls
I let my kids run free on playgrounds, jump off top bleachers and race ahead of me on their bikes without batting an eyelash. But I have some deep fears about introducing devices. Yes, Tin Can is a landline without apps, but as a Millennial who spent hours yapping and not doing homework, I know anything without boundaries is problematic. And kids' brains are still developing. I appreciated the ability to set hours, view call logs, approve contacts and turn off 911 calling so my kids couldn't make social calls to firefighters.
If you pause for more than a few seconds between dialing numbers, the Tin Can may stop registering the digits. It effectively cancels the call, and the child has to start again. My kids are pretty young and inexperienced, so there was a lot of hand-holding as they dialed the numbers. Also, they thought the dial tone meant it was ringing–but that's a Gen Alpha problem, not a Tin Can problem.
They felt *so* cool
My kids loved having phones. They didn't care or ask where the apps and videos were. Instead, they adored calling one another from other rooms. It was so fun watching and listening to them as they experienced lower-stimulation joy. And? When it was time to stop, hang up and eat dinner, there were zero fights. I noticed a shift in their behavior from day one, and it continued as we spent more time using Tin Can and less time looking at devices.
Related: A Psychotherapist Is Begging People To Stop Making This Common Mistake on Social Media
Final Thoughts: Is Tin Can Worth It?
Courtesy Beth Ann Mayer
I absolutely think the Tin Can is worth it. In fact, I am likely going to surprise my mother with one this summer (I hope she stopped reading all my stories). She's going to wind down her time as our childcare provider as my youngest gets ready for a more full-time school experience. She'll live full-time in another state, and I think Tin Can would be a wonderful way to say thank you and make sure she knows how important and long-lasting we want her connection to our boys to feel.
The Tin Can is also something that can grow with our sons, and I am way more on board with it than a smartphone before they're in their mid- to late-teens. Connection is crucial, but it doesn't have to come with all the overstimulation of a smartphone. Tin Can nails that ideal.
If you're a parent, I highly recommend a Tin Can landline phone if you have similar thoughts around connection and fears of technology. I would keep in mind that the Tin Can has a learning curve, and it may be steeper and longer for younger kids than for teens and tweens with faster fingers.
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Related: A Developmental Psychologist Is Begging Parents and Grandparents To Stop Giving Kids This Type of Toy
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