Gen Z is desperate for landlines — and creating their own makeshift versions with cellphones

Cătălin Roșioru

Tiffany Ng, a 24-year-old tech and culture writer based in New York, was too attached to her iPhone, so she did what humans do when trying to tame an unruly beast. She chained it to a wall. Ng felt she was spending too much time staring at her little screen and wanted an escape. Turns out she's in good company. Over 40% of American adults — and 62% of those under 30 — say they are on their phones "almost constantly," according to a Pew Research survey conducted in late 2023. Most Americans,