No one likes a dinner date who can’t stop playing on their phone, but at a family lunch, when the conversation begins to get a little dry or that racist uncle starts telling the same joke he whips out every year, we’re thankful for the temporary reprieve our phones can give us.
At Christmas lunch this year, though, we may be robbed of the distraction entirely and forced to read out lame Christmas cracker jokes — Why didn’t the skeleton go to the ball? — with Kmart’s latest viral product: An $8 Phone ‘Jail’ that locks away devices with a key. Help us.
According to the Kmart website, the Phone Jail is designed to “help you keep your screen time low by locking away your smartphones”.
It’s designed for young children and teenagers who may be more dependant on their devices, but you just know some parents are going to relish in the opportunity to lock away everyone’s phones at Christmas and force fun on the whole family.
The Phone Jail comes with six slots for standing up smartphones plus a metal lock with two keys, but savvy shoppers have already begun getting creative with the item, and are pushing the boundaries of the box to find out what else they can fit in there.
Posting a photo of her own Phone Jail to the Kmart Mums Australia Facebook Ground, one fan shared her creative use of the product. “It’s too small to fit a tablet/iPad but easily fits two Xbox controllers.
Her post has gone viral in the private group, with over 4.4k reactions and 1.4k comments. “I’m totally getting this for my family,” wrote one excited fan with another adding: “I’m going to get this for my partner”. No one is safe.
Those interested in the Kmart Phone Jail can score theirs from Kmart now for $8.