Don't have one, don't need one, don't really want one

I use mine constantly. Friends all contact by text or WhatsApp, and children do the same. I’d feel vulnerable whilst driving if I didn’t have it. Can’t imagine life without nowadays as so many services geared to having smart phone access.

Do you mean specifically a smartphone, or are you saying you don’t even have a basic mobile ?
If you don’t have any sort of phone, you could start off with a very basic one which is purely for phone calls, text messages and taking pictures.
You would get used to it very quickly, then you could decide whether to upgrade to an iPhone with all its additional features.

I never thought I would succumb, but now I can’t imagine life without it!

I can’t imagine not having one simply because it makes life easier when it comes to accessing a phone. We don’t have any public phone boxes within a 6 mile radius so getting help, for example, if you’re out and about would be tricky.
I’m just thankful such technology exists, it must make life easier for millions of people.

I have one but it doesn’t rule my life. I don’t use social media, but, as others have said, it puts a myriad useful tools at my disposal. I came lately to online banking, chivvied into it by my children, and now that all but one of our branches has closed, I don’t know how I would manage without it. This year, when DH was hospitalised several times, and visiting wasn’t allowed, it meant that not only were myself and the family able to talk to him every day, but to see him while we were talking which was a great comfort to all of us. Now that he is no longer here, we have some wonderful photos and videos on hand to remind us of him.

I have a smart phone, but struggle to use it. Not for the usual reason in older people - that I cannot cope with the technology but because I am dyspraxic, which means I have no fine motor control and because the tips of all the fingers on my right hand are numb, following a carpal tunnel operation, so I have no idea how lightly or how hard I am tapping,swiping etc etc. If typing text or anything like that I have to do it slowly, to be sure I hit the right tiddly little letters. I struggle with all the icons

I also find the screen far too small, I have difficulty understanding text when I only see it one sentence at a time, completely out of context with the sentence before and after.

Finally I find it very difficult to hear what people are saying if I am rung when I am, say, in the street, a shop, restaurant etc because the ambient noise distracts me. I had a hearing test last week and my hearing is remarkably good, so that is not the problem.

I was talking to a friend yesterday, 20 years my junior who works in a technical job in a tchnologically based industry and she shares many of my problems with a mobile phone.

As I said, I've got one, I use it on occasion, I also use the sat nav on it, it stores my NHS COVID certificate, I use it as a camera. I would love to be able to use it more, but I wish it was the size of a tablet or my Kindle. It would make it so much more useable for me.

DH and I both have our own smartphones-to match everyone else in the family.
Mind and DH rules (!) are:-
You must have your mob on your person (like Jakjaxy so sometimes in my bra-why don’t women’s trousers all have pockets? Grrr!
It must be switched on, not on mute
It must be charged up.
You never know when or where you’ll need urgent help!

Toilet Finder, thank you.
A very handy app to have.

why don’t women’s trousers all have pockets?

Well, that proved disastrous for me. My phone was in the back pocket of jeans-style cords...in the washing machine .

They're not actually phones, more like hand held computers that you can use as a phone. If you want to of course.

Love My mobile phone...I using it yo do this .I will always carry one as would not forgive Myself if I didnt carry one and there was an emergency particularly for My Partner and Grandchild.

I have an old fashioned flip phone. which I use only to make and receive phone calls. I know at some point I might need to get a smart phone, but as the day has not yet come I will keep my older technology. those with the smart phones seem to have forgotten human conversation.

I have a smartphone, iPad and laptop and can't imagine life without them. Being able to dial 999 in an emergency while out of the house would justify the phone on its own.

My life is on my smart phone & it is always in my jeans or trouser pockets. My DS tells me off if I do not keep it with me. I do some things on either my laptop or iPad as my DS says the laptop has more security, he should know as he handles all that for me. I have my Bank App on my phone as that has been handy a couple of times. I would be lost without mine. My DS said he is glad I do have it as when I had a bad reaction to some meds it was the phone that got him here fast. At 77 that is a benefit but my friend has a very old basic phone & still relies on using her Landline in emergencies. When I passed out from the meds that would not have worked for me!

until recently I had a mobile for "emergencies" then shopping on line finding I HAVE to have one for OPT or is it OTP
whatever.
even to renew payment for milk delivery, £1.80 odd a week, had it for YEARS, suddenly, card expired, new card, needed to put it in,,, NEEDED a phone, got a , think it may be "smart" but as I am not... just use it for this and emergencies... I forget to switch it on to communication with family! I think they have given up on me! LOL

I always said I'd never have a mobile not I did & wouldn't be without it, I have mine linked up to my Apple Watch so if I fall, (I have a type of muscular dystrophy) I can ring for help on the phone or if it detects no movement it rings my nominated person. Plus I have photos, music, information like recipes, it finds places I want to go, its just brilliant

I couldn't be without mine for emergencies like when the boiler was leaking, my brother was taken to intensive care, or I had a fall. I carry it everywhere around the house and garden just incase.
Also use it a lot as an encyclopedia and to do video calls with family.
Don't trust it for banking or financial things that's done on my laptop

Driving home across Exmoor at midnight after dropping offspring off at a week long expedition I realised, being a widow and having my workshop at home no one would miss me if I got into difficulties until I didn’t turn up to fetch daughter.
Have had a mobile phone ever since, even with potential connectivity limitations it gives me a possible way to summon assistance if necessary.

It would have been handy if mobile phones had been available when I snapped my ankle in a rabbit hole. Luckily then my dogs howling alerted a neighbour who was out on horseback and she rode for help and the incredible air ambulance lifted me to hospital. Wonderful woman took my hounds in until I was home as well.

My Dad was admitted to hospital over Christmas and without his mobile we would've had no idea how he was getting on etc. No staff to man the phones over the holiday period and the days where they wheeled a landline to your bed are over I suspect! He is deaf so is unable to talk on the phone, but text messaging was a life saver at this time. Its the only way we communicate, because of his disability. As for people staring at screens all the time, would it be better if ones nose was constantly in a book or you were hidden behind a newspaper? Because phones ARE books and newspapers now! I honestly cannot see any disadvantages to owning a mobile phone. If you don't want to be contacted then put it on silent for a while, but there are many scenarios when you might NEED to be contacted and might NEED to contact others!

There are times when I wish I didn't have one and only give out my number to those that I consider need it! Others can call my landline.
The thought of being able to be contacted 24 hours a day really makes me feel stressed , so my phone stays downstairs overnight.

Grandma 70s..but it won’t fit in your handbag or pay for parking

I do not have a smartphone, because of NO signal in the house. Nor millions of people sending me irrelevant messages that I can't understand, due to bad spelling!

I do have an ordinary mobile for emergencies, only.

I feel it is unfair that anyone should be bullied into having one if they don't feel it necessary.

Each to his own, of course. If you don't want it's not compulsory.
But they are so wonderful. I cannot imagine life without one.
They make me feel safer, and I can contact all my family so easily. Every day I get messages, jokes, photos, etc. And they are so handy for banking etc.
No one should be bullied into having one though. To some they are just a worry, I realise that.

I find my smartphone so invaluable for many of the reasons others have said, however, for the last month I have now turned many of my notifications off- doing this means that I look at things only when I choose rather than endless lighting up of the screen drawing my attention. I can not understand those who still have their phones pinging with every email, WhatsApp, text message etc etc unless they’re in an emergency situation of course.

It's a computer in your pocket ...a smartphone is an essential piece of kit without even using the phone. The phone is the least of it. I have a couple of friends who think they are doing well without one. I think the older you get the more resources you need at your fingertips. Medical advice from hospitals from around the world..Stanford, Cleveland Mayo clinic health advice with today's appalling GP service is necessary. World library to access...never get lost.

I wouldn't be without mine, I use it for so much and of course it has all my emergency contacts, medication details etc on it in case of need. I don't go anywhere without it. GraffaC had an old Nokia which he never used - it was so annoying if someone rang home to tell him something could be collected in town & he was actually in town but uncontactable so it'd have to wait til he got home then he'd have to go back in!! I have finally persuaded him to get a smart phone as we're heading to Italy & I've told him he'll need his covid status on it (I don't think he will as Italy seem to be phasing it out next month )Anyway, it worked & he can actually answer it & make calls & I believe he did send a WhatsApp message to both AC who were astounded. Above all, I want him to be able to call for help in an emergency. He's often alone somewhere on our farm, he's not getting any younger & he could easily have an accident, just slipping & twisting his ankle for example. There's being a Luddite & there's being stupid.