I banned smartphones for my 4 kids. They became obsessed with Walkmans instead.

• Ali Hynek is a 45-year-old mom of four in Utah whose children had been asking for smartphones.
• Instead of smartphones, Ali bought her kids a boom box, a recorder, a rotary-style phone, and a Walkman.
• Her 10-year-old son, Ethan, is particularly keen on the Walkman and spends hours listening to music.

“Can I get one of those?” he asked me.

I took him to several thrift stores, and we couldn’t find one. They were really expensive on eBay, but I found one on Amazon for a little over $30. I bought it, and we found Aerosmith and “Guardians of the Galaxy” tapes that he could listen to.

Soon after we got the Walkman, we went on a long road trip. Ethan sat for hours, looking out the car window while his music played on repeat. It was like road trips in the 90s, when all you could do was listen to music and watch the world passing you by.

At home, he just walks around with the Walkman attached to his side, headphones in. I often find him lying on the floor, staring at the ceiling, and listening to his music.

Since then, my other three children have also had their own Walkman and headphones, and have taken to listening just like Ethan.

My 4 kids want to shop for cassette tapes

All four of them often want to go to thrift stores with me to hunt for cassette tapes to play. We recently found a Madonna tape, and I bought a Billie Eilish tape online.

I doubt this is just a fad. It feels more like what it’s like to learn to ride a bike — once you’ve done it, you’ll always love it. They have latched onto this way of listening to music, and I haven’t sensed that their excitement is waning. If anything, they get more and more excited to hunt for new tapes to listen to — it’s like a treasure hunt.

I love watching them enjoy music. I love that we have another hobby we can do together. I love that their faces aren’t always glued to a screen. I love having flashbacks to my own childhood.