

The original house phone was patented by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876. While I could delve into its historical usage, I prefer to reflect on the evolution of what once was. The house phone was the center of the household in the 1980s and 1990s, at least that's what I can attest to. Its blaring ring called a halt to any face to face interaction, prioritizing itself behind the wonder of who could be on the line. The anonymity it provided fostered experimentation, such as prank calls and engaging with adults to reach children, enhancing the courage needed for communication and connection. Today, children spend an abundance of their free time in isolation, rattling off their opinions behind a screen, sometimes unsolicited and without accountability, and lacking the skills to answer or make phone calls. The responsibility of speaking with adults and the familiarity of knowing who is contacting the child have diminished with the decline of in-person community interactions and the silence of the household phone.