Mobile phones--luxury or necessity?

pineapple

Actually it's the bane of my life that some people try my mobile before the landline. I tend not to get a signal in the house and in the last house I could only just get a signal - by leaning out the porch. So I go out and lo and behold my mobile springs into life with missed calls yet I've been in all day! These days it doesn't seem to occur to people to ring the landline. The thinking must be that the mobile will catch you wherever you are. But that doesn't work with me. Plus I don't carry it everywhere and even when I do have it with me, it isn't switched on unless I'm waiting for a particular call. I know I know I'm a dying breed but the millennials are missing out. It's actually rather nice being uncontactable at times....... :rotfl:

Gloomendoom

I only give my landline number unless it is really important. As an extra layer of defence, the landline has call screening on it. Unless callers are on my approved list, they have to give their name and, if I'm in, I might answer the call if I deem it worthy of my attention, otherwise they can leave a message or ring off.

pollypenny

Another vote for mobiles as essential now. However, forking our for the latest iPhone or Samsung when you have a decent phone is a luxury.

Most contracts include data, so I do not understand why the OP talks about people paying an extra £20 for internet. Using a phone to stream films or play loads of games would be a luxury, I suppose.

It comes down to choice - do not waste money then plead poverty.

indesisiv

pineapple wrote: »

Actually it's the bane of my life that some people try my mobile before the landline. I tend not to get a signal in the house and in the last house I could only just get a signal - by leaning out the porch. So I go out and lo and behold my mobile springs into life with missed calls yet I've been in all day! These days it doesn't seem to occur to people to ring the landline. The thinking must be that the mobile will catch you wherever you are. But that doesn't work with me. Plus I don't carry it everywhere and even when I do have it with me, it isn't switched on unless I'm waiting for a particular call. I know I know I'm a dying breed but the millennials are missing out. It's actually rather nice being uncontactable at times....... :rotfl:

That's why I made sure that I moved to a network that I knew wifi calling would work with my phone. Signal in the house now :T

Pennywise

pineapple wrote: »

Actually it's the bane of my life that some people try my mobile before the landline. I tend not to get a signal in the house and in the last house I could only just get a signal - by leaning out the porch. So I go out and lo and behold my mobile springs into life with missed calls yet I've been in all day! These days it doesn't seem to occur to people to ring the landline. The thinking must be that the mobile will catch you wherever you are. But that doesn't work with me. Plus I don't carry it everywhere and even when I do have it with me, it isn't switched on unless I'm waiting for a particular call. I know I know I'm a dying breed but the millennials are missing out. It's actually rather nice being uncontactable at times....... :rotfl:

I am exactly the same. But for me, it's my business/office where I can't get a signal due to it being low lying and having thick stone walls. I try to avoid giving out my mobile for that very reason and when I do, I explain it's because I don't get a signal when at work in the office. But even so, people still ring it and then likewise I get a load of missed calls and messages on it the moment I leave the office. Likewise when I'm out and about, I usually can't answer because I'll be driving or in a meeting or whatever.

dori2o

For me I would say internet access is now a necessity.

Most things now are being done online, even benefits claims, some are only available online.

Jobseekers have to use an online system to show their jobseeking activity.

Bank branches in small towns are closing at a fast rate. Come September our town will only have 1 bank that is only open 3 days a week and is on a 6 month rolling viability review. 2 years ago we had 5 banks in our town, 15 years ago we had 9.

Unless people want to travel into out local large towns then online banking is the only option.

Our doctors surgery no longer allows telephone repeat prescription requests, it's on line or fill in a form in person and post it through a letterbox in reception.

As for mobile phones, you can get many tarrifs now, both with a new phone and as sim only that are as cheap/cheaper than landline contracts.

Mine for example is £20 a month with unlimited calls and 4gb internet.

My phone is new but isnt one of the most upto date models, its (was when I got it) approx 18months old in terms of the newest phones and it isnt one of the top (or wasnt at the time) one of the top recognised brands (Honor, made by Huwei) , but it does everything I want it to do.

A telephone is a necessity, therefore in similar circumstances I'd say that's acceptable, i.e cheap tarrif/phone/sim only. But as others have said £50+ tarrifs just to secure the latest phone etc is not a necessity.

Jackmydad

pineapple wrote: »

Actually it's the bane of my life that some people try my mobile before the landline. I tend not to get a signal in the house and in the last house I could only just get a signal - by leaning out the porch. So I go out and lo and behold my mobile springs into life with missed calls yet I've been in all day! These days it doesn't seem to occur to people to ring the landline. The thinking must be that the mobile will catch you wherever you are. But that doesn't work with me. Plus I don't carry it everywhere and even when I do have it with me, it isn't switched on unless I'm waiting for a particular call. I know I know I'm a dying breed but the millennials are missing out. It's actually rather nice being uncontactable at times....... :rotfl:

Gloomendoom wrote: »

I only give my landline number unless it is really important. As an extra layer of defence, the landline has call screening on it. Unless callers are on my approved list, they have to give their name and, if I'm in, I might answer the call if I deem it worthy of my attention, otherwise they can leave a message or ring off.

Both the above. I don't need to do business on the phone, so I don't want to be on the end of a piece of virtual string for anyone who tugs it.
Really important calls I'll give my mobile number.
Anything else can wait.
As to phones being "essential" they're not.
Nice to have, but well down from essential, particularly the internet access.

indesisiv

Jackmydad wrote: »

Both the above. I don't need to do business on the phone, so I don't want to be on the end of a piece of virtual string for anyone who tugs it.
Really important calls I'll give my mobile number.
Anything else can wait.
As to phones being "essential" they're not.
Nice to have, but well down from essential, particularly the internet access.

Internet I would have to argue is essential. The phone not so much.
Even for those without jobs, a lot of the jobs are only available to apply for through online systems. At our place we currently have nearly 200 job vacancies out for advert, so that potentially is a massive number of jobs you are missing out on.

I can't think of the last time I used my phone to talk on, but emails, messages ,internet gets used every day. Lets be honest how many people actually choose to ring someone when a quick message will do.
As for home phones, whilst most of us have to have them, I don't actually know anyone who uses them, sadly around here the price is the same to have one as to just have the internet at home so you are not even making a saving by not having one. (My home phone isn't even plugged in)

DigForVictory

My son is an unstable epileptic. Any mobile, smart or dumb, is a necessity since I'm the emergency contact & have the car to collect the body.

The phone doubles as camera, kindle, family diary, notepad and so forth, so for all the device was in the luxury bracket when bought, it's been tended to keep working.

I don't stream stuff or play games on it - largely as I've got wifi and a decent size screen thing at home, but also no games as they trigger the lad going over. And it's simpler to enforce if noone has them. (The others will probably be slung out of university in their first term for CoD addiction or something equally daft, but if that's written, it's written.)

It's getting to be the landline that is the luxury.

Jackmydad

It depends on your interpretation of "essential" really.
I was thinking more about "essential" as an absolute, as in food, water, shelter, heat.

Having said that, in your case DigForVictory, I can understand why you would see a mobile as absolutely essential. Sorry to hear that.


It all shows though that we are becoming more and more reliant on the availability of tech.
It's rather worrying really.
What would happen if the whole lot collapsed due to a cyber attack or EMP?

I like my tech, I wouldn't be posting here without it. I've had the internet since the late 90s. I make part of my living through it, so I do need internet access. I don't need it on the move though.
As I said earlier I have a mobile for safety and convenience. I really don't need a smartphone. I wouldn't use it.