A woman standing in a queue is scrolling on her phone. It’s a familiar scene, but something is different about the piece of tech she’s holding.
What appears to be a crystal clear iPhone is in her right hand. The device has gone viral online, with one user sharing a photo and asking, ‘I’m sorry, WTF is that??’
Some suggested the item could be a new Nokia phone, retailing for well over £30,000.
But no such thing exists.
The ‘clear phone’ is a piece of acrylic dubbed the ‘methaphone’, created in a bid to ‘replace the feeling’ of having a phone.
The woman at the centre of the viral video, Cat, came forward to explain.
She said: ‘This little piece of acrylic feels like a physical artefact that directly responds to this collective tension we all feel about how our devices, which are meant to make us more connected, are actually having the exact opposite effect.’
The ‘methaphone’ could be a unique solution to modern-day technology addiction, but TikTokers were quick to point out the absurdity of the product.
‘So this is not a real phone, it’s just glass and they’re trying to make it sound deeper than what it is,’ one wrote.
Another pointed out: ‘Nobody’s addicted to holding phones, they’re addicted to the apps.’
Phone addiction is becoming more and more common, especially for young people.
Clinical psychologist Dr Marianne Trent previously told Metro that she is concerned about children’s use of the tech while their brains and impulse control are still developing.
With the number of children and teens being treated for mental health conditions increasing, a University of Oxford study is looking at whether phones could be contributing to this epidemic.
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