AUSTIN, Texas — A landmark jury verdict against Meta and YouTube has reignited a national conversation about children, social media, and mental health.
A California jury recently found the companies liable in a case brought by a young woman who argued that addictive platform features contributed to serious mental health harm. Meta says it plans to appeal the decision and maintains that it has invested heavily in protecting teens online.
While lawmakers and courts continue to debate the role of Big Tech, one Austin entrepreneur believes the solution isn’t another app.
He believes it’s an old-fashioned home phone.
An old idea, redesigned for modern families
Dane Witbeck, co-founder and CEO of Austin-based Pinwheel, has launched Pinwheel Home, a modern take on the traditional home telephone.
At first glance, it looks like the landline many families grew up with. But instead of requiring a phone jack, it connects through your home’s Wi-Fi using a small networking box that plugs into a standard electrical outlet.
“It looks just like the old-school telephone we grew up with,” Witbeck said.
The difference is what happens behind the scenes.
Parents approve every phone number that can call the device, while Pinwheel’s servers automatically block spam calls. The goal is to create a simple way for children—especially those between the ages of 5 and 10—to communicate with family members without the distractions or risks that come with smartphones and social media.
Why bring back the home phone?
Witbeck says research continues to show that social media can negatively affect young people.
“The research has been overwhelming that kids, especially middle school age, are harmed by social media,” he said.
The launch also comes as the debate over social media’s impact on children intensifies following the recent California verdict against Meta and YouTube. Parents involved in the lawsuit argued that addictive platform features contributed to mental health struggles, while Meta says it will continue defending its safety efforts in court.
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Building a safer first step into technology
Witbeck’s latest product is part of a larger mission.
Three years ago, Tech This Out featured Pinwheel’s kid-friendly smartphone, designed as a safer first phone for children. Instead of giving kids unrestricted access to app stores, Pinwheel offers a curated library of about 1,000 parent-approved apps.
Parents can also manage features including:
Text message monitoring
School Mode
Geofencing
Scheduled bedtime shutdowns
Remote parental controls
Witbeck says his frustration with existing parental controls inspired him to start the company after searching for a phone solution for his oldest child.
“I downloaded 12 different parental control apps and tried offerings from Google and Apple, but none of them fit what I wanted for my family,” he said.
A simpler way to stay connected
With Pinwheel Home, Witbeck hopes families can encourage more real conversations while delaying children’s exposure to smartphones and social media.
His goal, he says, is to help parents introduce technology gradually—and on their own terms.
“Not to have Big Tech using them for their own purposes,” Witbeck said. “We really help guide kids and parents down that pathway in a thoughtful, step-by-step way.”
Pricing
The Pinwheel Home phone sells for $79 to $99, with service plans starting at about $7 to $10 per month.
For more information, visit Pinwheel.com.
