Niamh Shackleton
A woman spotted with a 'clear cellphone' has explained what the contraption really is.
A few days ago, TikToker CatGPT sent people into a frenzy after sharing a clip of her stood in a queue and seemingly scrolling through a see-through phone.
The clip has since amassed over 52 million (yes, million) views at the time of writing. Cat captioned the short video: "Completely clear phone spotted in San Francisco on May 14…?!? Wtf??????"
It didn't take long for people to take to the comments section of the now hugely viral TikTok.
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One person asked: "Could it be the new Nokia clear phone????"
A second suggested: "This could be a Black Mirror promo," while another said: "This looks like a social commentary or a walking art exhibit I’m too uncultured to understand."
The most popular theory was the one about Nokia's clear cellphone, which reportedly can set a person back thousands of dollars.
While the rumor mill has long be turning on such a topic, Nokia have never confirmed that it's clear cellphone actually exists; so if it isn't a Nokia device, what is it?
It's something called a methaphone, according to Cat.
"It’s exactly what it looks like — a clear piece of acrylic shaped like an iPhone," she explained in a follow up video in the wake of her newfound viral stardom. "But why does it exist?"
Apparently Cat's friend created the unique contraption and she further divulged what inspired him to do so.
"He told me what he wanted to test if we’re all so addicted to our phones," Cat shared. "Then could you potentially curb someone’s addiction by replacing the feeling of having a phone in your pocket with something that feels exactly the same?"
Sharing her own thoughts on the methaphone, Cat said that she thinks the piece of plastic has become some people because 'this little piece of acrylic feels like a physical artefact that directly responds to this collective tension that our phones, which are meant to make us feel more connected, do the opposite'.
With this in mind, she described the methaphone as 'empowering' despite the fact she hasn't used her real cellphone any less than she did since getting one of the faux phones.
"The conversation that [the methaphone] has sparked online, that's what really matters," Cat continued.
Methaphones are sold on a website called Mindless Toys and will set you back $25. As Cat said, they're currently sold out.
The site says of the unusual piece of fake tech: "For 50 years, heroin addicts have used methadone to help break their addiction. Now you can step down your dependency on your mobile device with this: methaphone."
It continues: "We carry our phones everywhere. It feels strange and unsettling when we can't feel them. We twitch, worried we've lost something.
"Methaphone can help you manage cravings and withdrawal symptoms. It can fill that hole in your back pocket. It can fill that hole in your hand. Opioid addicts have used methadone to help step down from dependency, and now you have this."
What do you think of the faux phone? Comment below.