This 'Screen-Free Smartphone' Lets Kids Communicate Safely: 'Inspired By A Walkie-Talkie'

This 'Screen-Free Smartphone' Lets Kids Communicate Safely: 'Inspired By A Walkie-Talkie'

This 'Screen-Free Smartphone' Lets Kids Communicate Safely: 'Inspired By A Walkie-Talkie' As parents seek to decrease digital distractions from their kids’ lives, and researchers suggest that smartphones are not safe for children under 13, a new middle ground must emerge: How do we use technology to foster healthy growth and independence in young people without all the downsides of smartphones? Tech company Karri has an idea. A startup based in the United Kingdom, Karri has created a “smartphone” for kids. Except it isn’t much of a smartphone at all. The newest generation of the Karri Messenger. Photo courtesy of Pentagram/Karri Designed for kids aged five to 13, Karri’s Messenger is inspired by the “simplicity of a walkie-talkie,” and gives kids the capability to chat with loved ones, minus the distractions of a touchscreen device. Karri’s founder, Pete Clifford, conceptualized the device in 2020 when he was struggling to figure out how to manage smartphone culture with his…