Mobile phones--luxury or necessity?

batg

davidwood681 wrote: »

In my opinion, phones now are causing just as much harm to the future of our children as drugs, alcohol and cigarettes.

It's only going to get worse and lazy parents throwing phones and tablets at children as young as 3 have a lot to answer for.

If you can't go for a meal without looking at your phone or if you look at your phone in the morning before you say hello to the person next to you....you have a problem

Agreed, but the ones doing it don't even think they have a problem! And a problem is what it is.

NYM

batg wrote: »

just asking, I wouldn't say £20 a month for a phone is THAT expensive, but add on the cost of internet access of the same amount again, and I was wondering what people thought. All comes back to the same question....luxury or necessity
Maybe I should have added "perceived necessity"?

Luxury for some, a necessity for others

batg

bit of an add on
if it came to the point between food or a mobile phone....would the idea of luxury or necessity change?

vivatifosi

Quasar wrote: »

As for private use, who doesn't appreciate the ability to communicate at any moment, when out of the house, with for instance: a sick relative one is caring for, a friend to advise of lateness for a get together, and so on?

This ^^^

We were abroad when a relative became terminally ill. Having a smartphone, even in the US where calls are expensive, we could load $10 onto a Skype account and call home for hours, including to mobiles where necessary, just using WiFi hotspots.

I have a Moto G5 and don't feel I miss out by not having an iPhone. Do have a contract, but it is a cheap one.

Quasar

vivatifosi wrote: »

This ^^^

We were abroad when a relative became terminally ill. Having a smartphone, even in the US where calls are expensive, we could load $10 onto a Skype account and call home for hours, including to mobiles where necessary, just using WiFi hotspots.

I have a Moto G5 and don't feel I miss out by not having an iPhone. Do have a contract, but it is a cheap one.

Exactly, vivatifosi. When I was in hospital (not terminal but scared it might turn out to be), my mobile phone helped me keep in touch with my family abroad who were understandably worried. My smartphone is 7 years old, a Samsung Ace 2. When I went into a mobile phone shop to see for an upgrade, the staff almost regarded it as a museum piece. (I won't upgrade it because I'm on an old tariff which I still find useful).

I'm occasionally asked, "What did people do before mobile phones?" I say that they did the same as people did before the invention of the wheel: get on with it. But if people then had been happy the way they were, we'd still be living in caves.

Technology is a luxury when it is very new, but then society incorporates into every day life and this way we went from cave dwelling to centrally heated homes, from horseback to airplanes.

The fact that, inevitably, technology can (and will) be used mindlessly by many doesn't invalidate its usefulness for those who take a more masterful attitude towards it.

Johno100

Seems they are becoming more and more a necessity. For instance there are already car parks where you have to use a smart phone app to pay for parking, no cash payments allowed.

Jackmydad wrote: »

Cheapo phone of whatever type PAYG, probably a good idea to have, if only for emergencies.
It's what I've got.
I don't need internet access away from home usually these days.

That is what I need and had for a number of years. Unfortunately most phone companies have now added regularly top-up and usage requirements to keep the sim and number active. If anybody has any suggestions?

trigger_fish

In my case if I'm fishing an out of the way place and happen to have a fall a phone could be very useful.

Same as a breakdown in the car.

Apart from that not much.


I've kept phones for so long the network no longer supports it such as an old black phillips one I had.

Tabbytabitha

NYM wrote: »

Luxury for some, a necessity for others

Doesn't that assume they haven't got a landline?

GwylimT

It depends on the person.

Where we used to live most carparks required an app to pay for parking, so you would need a mobile phone with internet access.

When we lived near Leeds we had a large mobile phone data package as ir was cheaper than the cost of a landline phone and internet each month. The landline was around £12 per month, then internet was £20. My mobile package was £18 and I could call family for free.

Ames

Firstly, I don't think it's cool to bring criticism of a vulnerable poster into DT when they're probably not even aware of it to defend themselves.

As I said on that thread, you're assuming that stopping the phones and internet would save the amount that they cost each month. But not having them would increase costs in other areas. Having to travel to shops, not saving money by buying online, not being able to shop around for deals on insurance/utilities/etc, not being able to get cashback. The internet saves me a fortune - getting rid of phones and internet would quite possibly lead to an overall increase in outgoings.

And I'm not even sure how you'd go about running a household without the internet. No internet banking, no online payment facilities, not being able to check bill accounts (paper bills - another cost as most places charge for this). Do utility companies even accept cheques or posted direct debit mandates anymore?

And that's all for healthy people, disabled people who can't get out to the shops/banks/post office are going to find it nigh on impossible.

Even the benefit system is going digital - under Universal Credit an internet connection is essential, as all communication is done online.