Survey
Parents' phones
Finding: 68% of U.S. parents say they're at least sometimes distracted by their phone while spending time with their kids.
How we match up: Your people ring the house phone, so your phone can stay in a drawer.
The research
The short version of what studies say about phones, kids and family, and how Hello Hello fits. Some of this evidence is strong, some is early, and some is hotly debated. We've labeled which is which.
Correlational
“Technoference”
Finding: In 170 families with toddlers, more phone interruptions during family time were linked with more child behavior problems. It's a correlation; the authors say the direction of cause isn't settled.
How we match up: Fewer reasons to check your phone during dinner, bath and bedtime.
Small lab study
The “still face” with a phone
Finding: When mothers turned to a phone and stopped responding, babies showed less positive and more negative emotion, echoing the classic Still Face experiment. A small lab study (50 babies).
How we match up: A home phone with no screen has nothing to get lost in.
Government advisory
Kids and social media
Finding: The U.S. Surgeon General's 2023 advisory says we can't conclude social media is sufficiently safe for kids, and that teens on it over 3 hours a day face double the risk of depression and anxiety symptoms.
How we match up: Kids get a phone to talk to their people, with no apps or feeds.
Debated
Phone-based childhood: the debate
Finding: Jonathan Haidt argues smartphones and social media helped cause a rise in teen anxiety and depression. Other researchers, like Candice Odgers, say the evidence mostly shows small or mixed links, not proof of cause.
How we match up: We don't need the debate settled to offer a simple choice: a way for young kids to call family without a smartphone.
Parent movement
Waiting on smartphones
Finding: Wait Until 8th asks parents to pledge to hold off on a smartphone until at least the end of 8th grade, together with other families. It allows basic phones for calls and texts.
How we match up: A kids' line that rings the house fits right in with waiting.
Review
Kids' independence
Finding: A review in The Journal of Pediatrics argues that less independent play and activity is a major cause of declining kids' mental health. The authors note the evidence is largely correlational.
How we match up: Kids answer their own calls, and soon can call approved people on their own.
Correlational
Grandparents
Finding: In a study of about 1,500 English and Welsh teens, more grandparent involvement was linked with fewer emotional problems and more kindness to others. A survey, so it shows a link, not a cause.
How we match up: Grandma gets her own ring, and the kids pick up.
Government advisory
Loneliness
Finding: The Surgeon General's 2023 advisory calls loneliness a public health crisis and urges simple steps, like answering a friend's call and listening without your phone.
How we match up: A phone in the kitchen makes calling family an everyday thing.
Mixed evidence
Phone-free schools
Finding: An English study of 30 secondary schools found phone bans cut phone use during school, but students at restrictive schools didn't have better mental wellbeing. The authors say school bans alone aren't enough.
How we match up: Phone habits start at home. Hello Hello is a home tool, not a school policy.
Industry estimate
Spam calls
Finding: Americans got about 3.8 billion robocalls in September 2026, around 11.7 per person, by YouMail's estimate.
How we match up: Callers who aren't on your list and don't have your PIN never ring the house.
We're a small family business, not researchers. These are short summaries; follow the links for the full studies. Spotted a mistake? Email [email protected].
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