It's only relatively recently (maybe 20 years) that most of the population has had a mobile phone. Smartphones are even newer with the first iPhone appearing in 2007. Before that only a few geeks had internet connected phones and they were slow and limited. Now it seems that everywhere you go you see people staring at a shiny rectangle.

![Phones](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/w9xv6jSPJw2vp5lKyQiFhQixm0dTFxfubUnmIdLkur7DKiYNGPkuC5liwEkWfFQ8VlQ5fAmVBIy7DGmOfQhve2dn7PNml459tK-gdM20D7KNATO04HwDy3hx1IT9PGMxPMRklZwwil2GPwxu-zXvnIm3lC86Di5j5In57Y2s8m4abYzHXI5aqkgH0poxry0o1KrDStwTdObcZsnPEbsw1Q9S9f2oXtHw4o-b9ZM8IQM-ZR4-Zzh67faPWXfln4h3ylTj8sf8ctGzFhM6lq_VvdbTYvmJbP9WIVOIdSLIXk1ZjFuKEPxzry5LRJwmLkHgoPwJACUdYhj9ruCk3NlslyFbz5naC74h0YmK3mul7fyxkElmeg1sYjJ7AamMJJ0wKmWb0TNFNYDi-Yk6adoxyM_wq7Kcykes826DuS84B89U9mCMb19Pnwq_dhq98ZBfntZGECj5oMXa90imHD9LU_pdiMZXmYZpVqxeszmYca1TrxTZfkbI04j02md5O-ztuoezQDBjY58gHNdQaqMGMxcXDLInfXPmKtugYVHsgzuQittCnwNTJXuWB2fPd4wqFE2rG_RiNQ2l8j9xSwTahSpGWJgkfYGplfk6HacgkiXI7KHgshn8Iar7XQ=w1288-h966-no)
*Some of our old phones*

[Some people resist this](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/jul/29/what-im-really-thinking-the-mobile-phone-refusenik), but they are a small minority. I got back for most of my life without being constantly available and even not I don't make many calls. We survived without these things. It's very rare that they are essential, but we have become accustomed to having them. We don't really need constant updates of what our friends or celebrities are up to. 

Some will argue that they divide us as we are not concentrating on what is going on around us. We're too busy with that is happening elsewhere.

Technology will keep marching on, but we don't have to be slaves to it. We don't need to keep upgrading, but this is partly forced on us by planned obsolescence. My own Nexus 4 phone really needs replacing as it's not getting all the updates now and may become more vulnerable to malware.

A generation is growing up who have never known life without these things. Even fairly young kids have a phone now, even if they are rarely out of sight of their parents. For them it's probably more about things like games, but is it doing them harm to be constantly looking at a small screen. Could it affect their eyesight and posture? We may only find out in a few years.

I don't expect people to totally give up these devices, but try to leave your phone in your pocket or bag and just enjoy the moment. Facebook can wait.

Steem on!

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