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

I only bought a smart phone when my mobility was increasingly worsening because of arthritis so that I could locate a taxi and call one if stranded. I live alone so must fend for myself. I have travelled on my own for decades but now regretfully realise I cannot do so any more without a means of summoning help when away from home. I really never use the phone for anything else as it is too small and fiddly. I have dumped my desktop computer and do almost every thing on a tablet including correspondence and shopping and finding out about almost anything in the world in comfort.

I have a basic one, but it’s only for emergencies and I’m not sure I’ve ever used it.

My iPad serves all the purposes of an iPhone at home. I don’t need the Internet when I’m out and about.

boheminan You have chosen a way of life that is very different from the majority of the population, that is no reason for criticising it - or indeed praising or admiring it. It is your personal choice.

However, if you choose to live a life like that you must accept the downsides. Among the downsides are that you must accept that your life style choices will in many ways cut you off from the rest of the world.

The 65 million cannot reasonably be asked to change their whole way of efficiently running their lives because one person who wants to buck the trend. Much effort is put into helping those who cannot use modern phones by reason of disability or incapability, But I see no reason why the whole system should change for someone who merely wants to do things differently.

Gosh, B, hats off to you for the spartan life you lead. The very thought of being without a washing machine leaves me cold. All the gadgets/mod cons I have are simply that..... for my convenience. Guess I'm opting for a 'soft' retirement. I do have a mobile. Cost £10 and does me perfectly. Again...very convenient. Each to her own, eh? No halos or criticism just - pleasant survival?"

I have a basic very old one that I never use. I hate them.

they're useful - just a drag seeing everyone looking down at them all the time!

polyester57 I totally agree with your post and think, like you, that we should try to keep up with new technologies and know and understand how the world works.

I count myself very fortunate that I was in work when the computer, internet and mobile phone revolutions took place so I had to keep up to speed to hold down my job effectively.

Now I am retired I have a two year old Blackberry Smartphone bought outright and it costs me £8 per month which includes enough free calls, texts and data to easily cover my needs. I use it constantly and I love it. I use Whats App to communicate with my family; Facebook for information about activities in my village and to access the second hand market place; the bus ap to check timetables and get live information on the service; texts for meeting up with people and to advise on late running journeys and when I got a flat tyre recently out in the countryside I phoned the RAC using my smartphone. If I need a taxi I use the app and on a long journey I listen to podcasts on BBC sounds. The flashlight feature helps me out on dark nights and the Public Toilet app means no hunting around in new towns for the facilities. Google maps on the phone is far more up to date than my Sat Nav and you can now look up your journeys and download them before starting off in case you hit a low signal area. Also getting fitter with the exercise tracker.

Saggi - My initial reaction to your referring to me as being 'selfish' and thinking 'myself above every else' was retaliation...however I'm not going to rise to your jibes or lower myself to your level

I viewed a mobile phone as an invasion of my privacy. My DH gave me one for Christmas! I nearly choaked. To appease him I did get a book on how to use it, all the time thinking this was not for me. Now it is March. I can use it for the basics and am wondering how I lived without I! Please note....I was equally as stubborn about getting a microwave oven back in the day.

....oh and I used it while babysitting my granddaughter ( her parents don’t have landline).... I called an ambulance , she had pneumonia.....I also used it to call ambulance for a young man who came off his motorbike and had a head injury ....and my husband called me one day when I was walking as he had fallen in the house and dragged himself to
Landline ... .... he had broken his jaw and nose and was in hospital for two days. This ‘I’m above everybody else’ attitude just riles me.

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.

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'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.

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.

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.

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

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

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)

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.

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.

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

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!

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.

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.

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??