Has anybody else not got, and not want a mobile phone?

My son, aged 50, refuses to have a mobile phone or the internet !

Important to remember that it doesn't have to take over your life, just because some people are on theirs constantly. It's a lifeline and enables you to contact your loved ones in so many different ways. Once you've bought the phone it's only £5 a month for unlimited calls and texts (including WhatsApp) from Smarty. Slightly more if you go out and about and use the internet but you don't have to.

The lady who currently organises my lunch group doesn’t have a mobile and if any changes occur she has to phone about 18 people to let them know. Much mor complicated remembering whose line was engaged etc.

Could be a nuisance running a business. People would ring OH at all times of the day and night often to book journeys weeks ahead. He often had to keep the phone on so current travellers could contact him.

Noticed on holiday people around the pool were getting what seemed to be business phone calls. No chance of a proper break if you are expected to be available 24/7 all year round.

Handy to photograph posters or flyers or to let OH know I was running later than expected this morning. We quite often use google to look things up that would have required an encyclopaedia once upon a time.

The problem Bohimian is that as a new product becomes common, it becomes necessary because it become intertwined with life.

^at some point in the future everything will be done by apps on mobile phones. They will be used as a security check for online activities more and more, and you won't be able to manage money, shop, or even talk to anyone, as landlines are not being used by the majority of people younger than us.^Exactly B9exchange I absolutely agree with you

Bohimian it's worrying that generally people believe they can't survive without new technologies, which is probably the case as we're having to rely on them more and more. But life has been like that throughout time I expect stone age man felt the same when metal knives replaced stone ones.

20 years ago I worked for Age Concern and had a client who didn't - wouldn't - have a phone. Trying to contact her to arrange visits was a nightmare; ringing neighbours passing on messages etc. This lady thought much as you. I saw her point but times had changed. There was no longer a vicars wife who walked round, walked in and knew that old Mrs Smith had a snooze immediately after lunch and would sort her problems.

It was now necessary to contact a charity 5 miles away, whose home visitor would ring the client to arrange a convenient time for a visit and would keep in touch by phone until the problem, whatever it was resolved. I had neither time nor opportunity to call in constantly to see if she was there. If she did not have a phone she just had to accept the problems this caused.

I have a mobile but it is only for calls and texts. If I want to take a picture I use my handy camera where I can download them onto my laptop within seconds and do various alterations if necessary.
My grandchildren keep telling me to get one of the up-to-date gadgets, but I don't need one. I get tired of seeing grownups and children constantly glued to I phones etc. They are losing the art to communicate verbally.
A mobile has it's uses but I very much limit the use!

CardiffJaguar
Computers are what I use
You will use a computer at home but won't use a computer that you can carry in your bag. A smart phone is a computer.

NannyC2
I think mobile phones have progressed beyond being called a gadget

NannyC2 owning a smart phone does not obligate you to use it all the time.

I have a smart phone, I use it as necessary for all kinds of purposes, but not very often. I haven't used it for 5 days, but when I do need it, it is there.

It is all too easy to get really left behind and then needing to depend on others. I much prefer to be independent so am keeping up with technology. It only dominates your life if you let it.

I can understand people who have been left behind by the IT revolution disliking mobiles, particularly smart phones. However, I find it slightly strange that anyone who uses the internet well enough to regularly use Gransnet (a huge number of members are clearly on it several times a days if not continuously) would dislike mobile phones so much.

That said, I do get annoyed when I am interrupted by the phone ringing, but that applies as much to calls to the landline as to my mobile!

DH has a mobile but only uses it if he wants to phone someone! Despite constant nudging to keep it on and with him just in case WE want or need to contact HIM, he totally resists. It's so inconvenient when for example someone rings me to say something is ready for him to collect in town - if he's in town, he could pop & get it but oh no, he's got to come 10 miles home to get the message & then go back in! The day my mother died quite unexpectedly, I knew where he was but not the number so I had to ring someone I thought might have the number, call the person, explain why I was ringing & ask her to get him to ring me. It's like the dark ages! And I do worry about him having an accident or something & not having a phone on him. It's such a stubborn attitude & no matter how our adult children & I moan at him, he just won't change. Any tips??

As a whole I think that older people are more sensible about their mobile/smartphone usage. Most of us understand how very useful these are and help to make our lives much simpler (once we have mastered them). However, we keep them in pockets or handbags, and do feel that we have to be looking at them every few minutes or so - as most youngster do.
I can remember many,many decades ago, how difficult it was when a couple of members of sports clubs were not reachable by phone (land lines only then), they felt so out of touch.
As has been listed here, the smartphone has so many uses, and I would not be happy going anywhere by myself (particularly in the car) without it. When I was in the process of selling my house it would have meant I would have been scared to have left that house at all for ages, as estate agents, solicitors, etc were contacting me a great deal.
Hopefully, the younger generations will learn to control their usage of these mobiles - and follow our lead on this. But, I would not be without one now.

20 years ago there were a lot of oldies (and not so oldies) who didn't want a computer, e-mail or internet. I suspect most of them have now come on board although some will have missed the boat and left it too late. The same applies to mobiles. It is best to get one now rather than leaving it until you really are too old to cope because it will get harder with age.

My husband bought me a mobile phone as a treat. It’s a pay as you go and I put £20 on it about six months ago. I still have 1£19 left. It spends most of its time at home. My daughter christened it an immobile phone!

Yes my husband , much easier for him to give my number and deal with anyone who phones to speak to him ?

I have a very small basic one which husband insists that I have, charged up, whenever I go out. So that I can contact him if necessary. That's all I use it for, and I admit it's a good idea as far as that.
Everything else on these small fiddly things are too tiny for me.
I use my desktop 'puter instead.
Husband uses his phone a lot, he's au fait with these techie things as he used to be a tv engineer and has kept up with the so-called progress.

gillyknits

I think your phone is only as intrusive as you allow it to be boheminan It doesn't need to be on when you are with family or friends and its not necessary to check it all the time unless you have a problem.
I think the positives outweigh the negatives in this case. My phone keeps me on Whatsap with my family and helps me with emails and organising the Rota for my volunteer role. I don't have all the apps etc that younger family members do but enough to keep me communicating and get help in a crisis.

Still not convinced, though I accept all the reasoning behind needing to get one. I'll put it on a 'maybe' list, along with the car, television, washing machine, and tumble drier I don't have either (and have managed to exist without for many years)

I love ny mobile for loads of reasons and mythat my blind daughter and I can text each other

Sorry sent too soon. Back in a mo...

Sorry about that! ...my blind daughter has so much joy from her mobile phone. She can receive videos from my sons of her young niece and nephews having fun and/or being naughty. She has around 80 films downloaded on her phone and loves that she can access the internet very easily when she's out and about. She and I regularly text each other using the voice activated system and, although we speak to each other as well, having a mobile phone has enhanced her life massively.

It's a tough one. I do have a mobile which I use for texts and calls. Also have Whatsapp and Facebook messenger on mine because my daughter lives in the Caribbean and half my family lives in Canada. However both my (adult) children think I am a dinosaur because I won't have apps that want access to everything on my phone - location, financial info, photos, documents, other apps. I resisted having a mobile for a long time, but some aspects are invaluable. Some aspects are intrusive and worrying. I think you just have to work out what would work for you and not be bamboozled into anything you don't want.

I'd say if you don't want one stick to your guns and don't get one! I have got one that's at least 10 years old and I only use it occasionally e.g. recently on a train journey to my daughter's to let Husband know I'd arrived because he likes to know..... We don't see eye to eye on this! and indeed on the use of mobiles in general. He loves his, I pretty much hate mine. His phone often interrupts our conversation at the tea table or on walks. I refuse to have mine switched on when I am out walking (alone) as that is my thinking and clearing my head time. I cannot think of one occasion in all the years I've had the phone that a call I've had on it was so urgent it couldn't wait, or an occasion when I had to make such a call. I know about all the "useful" aspects of a smartphone but the disadvantages to me would outweigh the advantages.

I love my 4 children and 3 grandchildren but can't think of anything worse than being in constant contact with them by phone!!!

I haven't got my own car either - I cycle and just use Husband's car when I need to do a big shop. I live in a village with no bus .... If it was up to me I could happily live without a computer at home too. Never had a tumble dryer either, though had 4 children, and still have no dishwasher.

I won’t do without my mobile. My husband refuses to get with the programme.....so when we were stuck in the dark on a lonely road a year ago, I refused to use it!! On principal that if I need one...so does he. We walked three miles to nearest pub and he ranting made a phone call to garage.... I made my point...he now has one. What’s good for goose is good for gander. I don’t think it’s because people are standing up for a principle....I think they’re just people who refuse to move on....and then expect everybody else to ‘be there for them’.....selfish is word that comes to mind.

I was forced into getting one by Mr. S. who insisted I have one when I go off in my car without him.

It's 'pay as you go' as I hardly ever use it and any contract would be a waste of money. I get his point, if I'm running late I can 'phone him so he doesn't worry and I must admit I get very annoyed if he's running late and doesn't use his mobile to let me know.