How essential to life is a smart phone in the 21st century?

[telstarbox]

Instagram is one of the worst apps for integration with other apps and services.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Instagram is one of the worst apps for integration with other apps and services.

Though it does work with IFTTT so you can integrate it that way.

 

[317 forever]

I'd say modern life would be much more difficult without Internet access. However, what device that's on is rather less important.

I am content with my laptop, simple pay as you go mobile and my landline. I so rarely hope I could look something up away from home that I feel no need to get a smartphone. As it also gets on my nerves that young people in particular often cannot have a conversation without looking at their smartphones, I am actually quite relieved not to have one.

 

[al78]

I have a smartphone but don't make full use of it. I use it for calls and texting, with occasional internet access. I haven't moved on from paying for goods with cash and credit card.

A smartphone isn't essential for life, as I doubt anyone will literally die if they lost theirs, but it does make some things a lot easier. It is easy to check on my trains app to look in advance if a connection has been delayed, or where the delayed train I am waiting for has got too. With any advancement in technology, there is first the phase where it is so expensive only the wealthy can afford it. When the price comes down enough to be used en mass, it is used to make everyday processes much quicker and easier. Over time, opur way of doing thihngs changes to make full use of the new technology, and at this point, we cross the boundary into the new technology being necessary for certain systems and ways of doing things. When that technology fails in a big way, there is chaos, and older people lament the younger generation saying "we managed without it in my day". Technology and its advancement can increase convenience and efficiency but it sometimes comes at the cost of robustness. For example, people can only commute tens of miles a day to work because we have motorised vehicles. If we all had to get about on foot or bicycle, we'd still be living no more than a few miles from our workplace, and shops and services would not be so centralised.

 

[AM9]

... For example, people can only commute tens of miles a day to work because we have motorised vehicles. If we all had to get about on foot or bicycle, we'd still be living no more than a few miles from our workplace, and shops and services would not be so centralised.

Which clearly demonstrates that much of technology (including smartphones) is not necessarily the improver of lifestyles that some claim, and of that, smartphones are definitely nowhere near an 'essential' item.

 

[al78]

Which clearly demonstrates that much of technology (including smartphones) is not necessarily the improver of lifestyles that some claim, and of that, smartphones are definitely nowhere near an 'essential' item.

I doubt there are many who would say that advancement in freedom of mobility beyond natural restrictions is a bad thing, but I see what you mean. What seems to happen is new technology makes something better, up to the point where we become dependant on it, then it also increases our vulnerability, it becomes our master instead of our servant.

 

[PeterC]

I am content with my laptop, simple pay as you go mobile and my landline. I so rarely hope I could look something up away from home that I feel no need to get a smartphone. As it also gets on my nerves that young people in particular often cannot have a conversation without looking at their smartphones, I am actually quite relieved not to have one.

While not essential I find a smartphone very useful. Expensive upfront but with a PAYG SIM it costs me a couple of pounds per month at most. I have about seven hours of music stored and the bluetooth connection means that it plays automatically when I start driving.

 

[43021HST]

Have the public at large been the victims of subtle marketing brainwashing since the start of any means of mass communication?

 

[Randomer]

Is it essential to life, no. It is a convenience but then arguably pretty much anything outside of water, food, shelter and a source of heat could be called non-essential.

As others have posted pretty much anything could be deemed not essential to life even down to fairly basic things. For the majority of people electricity isn't essential but most would accept that having it would generally make ones life easier in a modern age.

For me a smartphone is a convenience seldom used for its original purpose i.e. making actual phone calls. What is does provide is a means of entertainment (like this website or listening to music for example) , a repository of knowledge (both ebooks and the internet more widely, no comment on how good a source of knowledge) and a means of communication more convenient or secure than phone calls (various messaging services e.g. WhatsApp or Telegram.) It has replaced with a single item and some ancillaries a whole load of stuff I used to cart around the country every week when working. As an example when I started my current trade I carried in a small bag; non smart mobile phone with charger and battery, map of area, a book, diary for work, organiser for work, a few important technical documents for work, notebook, portable music player and a laptop for work. Now I carry a smartphone, battery pack and charger.

Would my life particularly when away from home be incredibly less convenient without a smart phone? Yes, even down to basics like not having an alarm clock or watch (can't wear them at work so stopped due to having to continually take them on and off.)

 

[telstarbox]

Arguably a 'smartphone' is now a small personal computer which can make calls rather than a phone which can do other things.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Arguably a 'smartphone' is now a small personal computer which can make calls rather than a phone which can do other things.

Which in itself asks the question why the word "phone" should be incorporated into the name of the unit. Is there not another type of word that could adequately express the current multi-faceted usage?

 

[najaB]

Which in itself asks the question why the word "phone" should be incorporated into the name of the unit. Is there not another type of word that could adequately express the current multi-faceted usage?

Because that reflects the genesis of the device: they are phones that have acquired additional functions with time. You can't define history away.

 

[Teleros]

The biggest advantage is that you have instant access to information and communication that never would have been available before. Information, of course, is a product of the internet, so that was a benefit of computers as well. Communication is a new one though- the ability to inform your friends or coworkers about last-minute schedule changes and to make useful connections with people from all over the world is new and powerful.

 

[nlogax]

Arguably a 'smartphone' is now a small personal computer which can make calls rather than a phone which can do other things.

That's exactly what it is, and yet we continue to call it a phone in spite of the fact many / most of us use that functionality least of all

Smartphones aren't essential if you're set on living a life that's less aware of the previous hour's news stories, and less stressful when it comes to needing to respond to people who are constantly in your pocket and communicating with you. I'm almost constantly connected with multiple laptops and phone - it's part of my job - but there's nothing better than spending a few days away and offline in places with no data or wifi to speak of. For a while you can just... be.

 

[johntea]

Even my 70 year old Dad has a iPhone SE now! I like how he still only turns it on if he is actually wanting to send a text or call someone

When you can get a second hand iPhone or (decent!) Android phone for under £100 these days it suddenly becomes a lot more accessible to own a smartphone, even if you don't have a data plan WiFi is always an option, only trouble is when the software updates stop as you eventually get to a state where even basic apps are updated past the point of working properly on the older software

 

[najaB]

...only trouble is when the software updates stop as you eventually get to a state where even basic apps are updated past the point of working properly on the older software...

By then (a) the battery is probably nearly shot; and (b) you can get a new old phone to last you a couple more years.

 

[43021HST]

Which in itself asks the question why the word "phone" should be incorporated into the name of the unit. Is there not another type of word that could adequately express the current multi-faceted usage?

Smart Device seems to be a growing parlance at the moment. Although we of all people being rail enthusiasts and staff should be long familiar with technology and roles which has retained it's original name but expanded to far beyond it's original purpose. I.E fireman, being a name used for a while particularly after dieselisation, particularly in countries abroad. Most evident in ASLEF. Certain Railway Lines and stations still retaining pre-grouping nicknames. I think smartphone will stick even as the name gets ever more anachronistic.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

At the age of 75, my sons often compare me to the person who wanted a "gramophone" in the "Not the Nine o'clock News" TV comedy sketch, who was served by Rowan Atkinson and Griff Rhys Jones. I am absolutely useless in matters of "links" but would love to see that sketch shown on this particular thread.

 

[nlogax]

At the age of 75, my sons often compare me to the person who wanted a "gramophone" in the "Not the Nine o'clock News" TV comedy sketch, who was served by Rowan Atkinson and Griff Rhys Jones. I am absolutely useless in matters of "links" but would love to see that sketch shown on this particular thread.

Well it's pretty relevant...

 

[RJ]

How much does the average smart phone user spend annually on running a smart phone. Incidentally, what is the cost of a middle-range smart phone?

I've managed to reduce the cost of that to about 0 as it has become possible to generate thousands of pounds to add to your mobile account balance for free.

I'm pretty much done with smartphones now. Yes, you can do a lot with them. But they're large, fragile and collect far too much data for my liking. I've also grown weary of having to carry a battery the size of the phone to keep it going for the day and the increased cost and hassle of battery replacement. Important components also seem to fail after about 2 years. I've happily reverted to using Nokia phones from the early 2000s.

 

[Busaholic]

In reply to the question posed on the header:-

When I hear of 'cause of death' given by a doctor on a Death Certificate including 'lack of essential access to a smartphone', then I might be prepared to think again, but otherwise I'd reply 'not at all.'

 

[D365]

I've managed to reduce the cost of that to about 0 as it has become possible to generate thousands of pounds to add to your mobile account balance for free.

Can you elaborate please?

 

[RJ]

Can you elaborate please?

Certainly - check out an app called Airtime Rewards. You accrue cashback on spending at the retailers on their portal which is paid in the form of a credit to your phone bill or prepaid balance. The more you spend, the more you get.

 

[Jeztone]

As someone who freelances. I can tell you my smartphone is invaluable. I record voiceovers on it and do my accounts and invoices on it. It’s basically a go anywhere computer.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

As someone who freelances. I can tell you my smartphone is invaluable. I record voiceovers on it and do my accounts and invoices on it. It’s basically a go anywhere computer.

What has a "phone" to do with those tasks you describe above?

 

[Bevan Price]

I have only a fairly basic smartphone, and its main use (pre-Covid) is for checking train times (Real Time Trains) or bus times. I have no financial Apps in use - I prefer cash or credit cards, and I refuse to do on-line banking -- you can't get cash out of a phone. I don't make many phone calls, so it is switched off for most of the time, otherwise the battery drains a bit too quickly. I resist attempts by Motorola to suggest that I need to update to their latest - much more expensive phones. I use the phone camera occasionally, and the results are O.K., but I prefer the increased level of exposure control I can get with a digital SLR.
So - useful, yes. Essential - no.

 

[najaB]

What has a "phone" to do with those tasks you describe above?

He uses his smartphone to do them. Could he do them with another device or devices? Yes. But he does not - your query was how essential a smartphone is for modern life, and for that poster his smartphone is essential.

 

[GusB]

I have only a fairly basic smartphone, and its main use (pre-Covid) is for checking train times (Real Time Trains) or bus times. I have no financial Apps in use - I prefer cash or credit cards, and I refuse to do on-line banking -- you can't get cash out of a phone. I don't make many phone calls, so it is switched off for most of the time, otherwise the battery drains a bit too quickly. I resist attempts by Motorola to suggest that I need to update to their latest - much more expensive phones. I use the phone camera occasionally, and the results are O.K., but I prefer the increased level of exposure control I can get with a digital SLR.
So - useful, yes. Essential - no.

A few years ago I could probably understand the reticence towards online banking that some people had, but these days banking apps are far more secure than they used to be with the likes of fingerprint sensors built in to phones. My late mother didn't trust online banking because she'd heard of so many scams, but she was happy to punch numbers into the landline phone in order to hear information about recent transactions. It took her a long time to get used to telephone banking, but she got there in the end.

As far as payment methods go I really prefer cash but, since lockdown, I have no way of obtaining it unless I manage to get to the post office before it shuts at 3pm. We have no ATM in the village. I'm able to pay by card, but my phone allows me to make contactless payments (via Google Pay) when my bank card isn't actually contactless.

What has a "phone" to do with those tasks you describe above?

The point is (and one I made earlier in the thread) is that it's no longer just a phone. It's a general-purpose computer which is small enough to fit into your pocket and able to fulfil a wide range of tasks. The ability to act like a telephone is just one of the many functions that a smartphone can perform.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

A few years ago I could probably understand the reticence towards online banking that some people had, but these days banking apps are far more secure than they used to be with the likes of fingerprint sensors built in to phones. My late mother didn't trust online banking because she'd heard of so many scams, but she was happy to punch numbers into the landline phone in order to hear information about recent transactions. It took her a long time to get used to telephone banking, but she got there in the end.

Yet I hear that the global criminal fraternity are always two steps ahead of any online banking security measures put in place by the banks.

 

[Irascible]

Smartphones were the technology I was waiting for ever since I saw a digital organiser & wondered why it wasn't integrated with a cellphone ( I had a work Nokia 9000 once, that was a clumsy beast too ). Ironically I don't really have one - I use a 2010 vintage phone from when the main selling point was that they were tiny, & it does everything I *need* to do. If I need some sort of computer I can pull out a tablet & tether it to the phone ( ironically, given my opening line... ). The thing I'm still waiting for is a decent interface to the device - I guess we've not *quite* reached the level of tech for convenient augmented reality.

Been using online banking since it first appeared, but I don't use it out & about.