A viral video showing a woman appearing to scroll on a completely transparent phone has baffled millions – could it really help curb our need to scroll?
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 how the $20 product claims to curb cell phone addictions.
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.’
Cat later shared that the ‘methaphone’ didn’t even help her kick her addiction – she said she was still reaching for her device.
But she is offering a select few people the chance to try the ‘phone’, writing on Instagram: ‘I’m sending out a batch of methaphones to people who have ideas for (safe) social experiments they’d like to run with them— break it out on the subway?
‘Show it to a 5-year-old? Replace your phone for a week? The only catch is that you have to write or document your experience in a post online (e.g. blog post, Medium, Substack, YouTube, TikTok, etc).’
Phone addiction is becoming more and more common, especially for young people.
![NEWS Weekend Redirect - [Viral see through phone] [Fri 4pm] (SEO)](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/SEI_253554535-f81e-e1748530497862.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=511)
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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