Is This Useless Piece of Plastic Taking the Place of Real Smartphones?

What began as satire has turned into an odd and somewhat concerning demand for the noPhone, a technology-free alternative to a real mobile device, which basically means a piece of plastic that acts as a placeholder for people addicted to their phones.

The site (jokingly) boasts that the noPhone acts "as a surrogate to any smart mobile device, enabling you to always have a rectangle of smooth, cold plastic to clutch without forgoing any potential engagement with your direct environment."

The pluses of the noPhone are really quite numerous. It's waterproof, shatter proof, and battery free, and it does not inhibit human communication with distracting apps and games. Drawbacks include: no camera, no mobile or wireless connection, and, um, no calling or texting abilities.

According to the noPhone team, they have received a surprising amount of actual interest in the product from phone addicts who think that this "device" could help them wean themselves off of their technology-dominated existences. We're interested to see how that works out for them. Either way, it's definitely an eye-opening look into technology's huge presence in our daily lives and how it affects our relationships and interactions with people.