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

It really P's me off that folk think I should do what everyone else does just because they say so.
For instance a friend gave me a soupmaker as a gift ,I didnt want a soupmaker nor would I use a soupmaker so I politely turned it down ...she was insistant that it would transform my life and left it behind when she went home.
It seems that even after knowing me for 40+ years she didn't know I LIKE cooking ,I like the prep and checking the results as I go and I dont feel the need to change my habits after all this time .This woman doesn't like to cook and thats fine a soupmaker might be a lifesaver for her but NOT for me.I also dont have
a stand mixer
a food processor
a pizza oven
or a stack of ready meals in my freezer...except for home made ones .
In the same vein I do NOT want a mobile phone I have a landline ,my OH has a smart phone ,I have a computer , a laptop and a tablet .I am not letting down the side by refusing to have a cell phone ,I am reclaiming my life ...MY way .Sorry if that annoys or upsets some of you but you should understand we are not all the same !! I thought it was just teenagers who were phone obsessed.

I have a smart phone and would miss it so much, although must say they are addictive. What with the news, e-mails, Twitter and Facebook, there aren’t enough hours in the day!!!!

Oh, and kindle too ?

It really helps the emergency services too if you had an accident. in contacts press on profile picture on your name this brings up medical information -fill this in with medical conditions, allergies, blood type etc then add an emergency contact. They can access this on the lock screen swipe up it says emergency call, press this and medical info is in the left corner press on it and it is there for the emergency services to see without being able to get into your phone. This is on an android phone I think iphones are a bit different but its there. Not many people know about this so show it to all you r family and friends

I was 'don't have one, don't want one' (a sort of badge of pride!) but I reluctantly bought a mobile phone just over 2 years ago when DH came out of hospital. It's a basic Nokia (a burner phone!) but I use it a lot and feel safer when I go for solitary walks - all within about 3 miles of home but I might have a fall and also DH can contact me if necessary. But I'm finding that more and more I'm expected to have a smartphone. Waitrose new offers system depends on a smartphone. DH has a lot of text messages from his GP/pharmacy/NHS that come in on my phone. I'm often out and about or in the garden and DH is often in the garden so if these came in as calls on the land line we'd miss a lot of them as they won't leave messages. I bought the phone and have a £6 goody bag from giffgaff which is more than adequate. No contract either.

I know i have one somewhere but i would have to hunt for it. Mobile signal here is awful, visitors get hacked off and it makes me chuckle to see the youngsters climbing on the wall to get a bit higher up just to try and get signal. I will stick to the landline as the nearest phone box is 15 miles away.

LilacChaser

Pittcity Perhaps the smartphone is less expensive than a computer, but it's not a case of either/or for me. I'm self-employed and my computer is a necessity. Certainly don't want to waste money on a phone I don't want or need.

Fair point.

DH didn't pay for his phone, just had DS old one and pays £5 a month for calls, texts and data.
A lot of people have old working handsets in drawers that could be passed on.

Pittcity Perhaps the smartphone is less expensive than a computer, but it's not a case of either/or for me. I'm self-employed and my computer is a necessity. Certainly don't want to waste money on a phone I don't want or need.

For those of you who'd rather use a desktop or laptop for Banking. They are far easier for hackers to get into than smartphones which have security updates downloaded daily without you doing anything.

Baggs My daughter's phone was constantly pinging, as was one of my friend's phones. There was a pingdemic, don't forget.

PetitFromage

I thought you were going to say 'a man'!

She can borrow mine he can bugger up any phone in a trice.

I didnt download the app either.
Well, downloaded and deleted.
The ping came from google, though, apparently.

Never got pinged as I didn't download the app.
I have no problem typing as I just speak and the words appear. No problem reading as I have the text enlarged.
I can simply ask the phone to call Mr Pittcity and it does.
I have a camera, calculator and atlas in my bag at all times.
No need to carry any payment or loyalty cards.
I could go on......I love my smartphone.
As for expense. We have no computer in the house which would cost about the same as a top of the range phone. No landline either so no rental to pay.
Much cheaper to have a smartphone.

To all those who don’t want a mobile phone let’s suppose that you or your husband/ wife had an accident which rendered them unconscious. They have no means of identification on them but are now unconscious in hospital.
If they had a mobile on them it and you had put Ice1 Ice2 the emergency services would contact you through this number.

As Sara says at the top of the thread it is so much more than just a phone' now. Mine has a good camera on top of everything else and is my constant companion, my everything!

Oh dear AmberSpy Glass. A bit harsh.

As my father when he gave up driving then gave up his mobile phone completely - did question that decision he made and was a bit worried but equally could understand - as do we know the age of this person who started the initial question ?

Myself have no interest in doing "banking" on a mobile anyway only indoors on our own main computer for things like ordering on-line as well but know the younger generation do all of this "on the go" when out and about.

Have Just never felt that its a safe option/choice.

Yes, mine is a basic Nokia press button moible, works sufficiently for what I need it to do phone calls when out and about and texts, but cant read my emails which doesnt bother me as at home have amazon tablet in lounge to browse on and laptop upstairs which is connected to the printer for use first thing in the morning. My husband however does have a reasonable - but not the latest - up to date - couple years old Samsung mobile and as I am with him most of the time he can look up things like the weather, location, google questions etc. as a woman does need a mobile if driving and as my 2 now all grown up and left home, dont need to drive out in the dark to pick them up anymore which is when think a mobile is needed the most to phone up the aa/rac rescue/road recovery services. Each to their own and to what they can afford - obviously on the monthly airtime price as with lots they want you to add on each month the cost of newer mobiles which can be quite an expensive thing to be doing.

I only got a mobile phone 10 years ago. I didn't really want one, I don't like being 'always contactable'. But when we were house hunting and moving it was handy to keep in touch with estate agents and solicitors etc. I kept that phone for 9 years until the battery wouldn't charge up any more.

Most of the time my mobile is switched off, or I don't know where it is, much to the annoyance of our AC when I don't answer their calls. I don't carry it around with me and I most certainly never browse the web on it, it's too small for that. I have a desktop computer with a 26" monitor and a custom built laptop with a 19" monitor, also two tablets, not used very often, because I prefer the power of the laptop.

MrHappy has a PAYG mobile but doesn't really know how to use it, he never sends emails or texts and struggles to answer calls. He also has a desktop computer but never uses that either, just not interested.

We've nothing against technology in general but don't want to be tied to it all the time.

I love my mobile phone, I spend less time phoning with it but use it for so many other things, it is a boon. It's paired up with my laptop and iPad so they all have the same information. Who would have though even 20 years ago that a phone could do so much.

Where have I scoffed, exactly?
Perhaps you could direct me to that, because I am simply responding to a thread.

Mine did, completely out of the blue, and caused aggravation regarding work/school about whether we should go or not.

MissAdventure

It's also about how much people are pressured to use it.
School dinners - pay by phone.
Detentions - email and text which tell you to look online to find out why.
Open evening- an email and text telling you to fo online to book an appointment.
Bus ticket- order online then show your phone ticket.
Training for work - log onto a site, quoting a security code...

I don't find any of that a boon to my life.

Also banking. Haven't been inside a bank for centuries.

We have to log overtime at work on a phone app.

But mostly mine is used as my clock, as my list of reminders, for whatsapping with all three daughters at once, for whatsapping all four siblings at once, and for looking up recipes.

The phone part of phones is not the most important part nowadays. They are carry-around computers.

If you don't feel the need, don't want, etc, etc, then don't. What's the problem? why do you have to scoff about something others find a boon?

LilacChaser

Why would anyone be losing out by not having a mobile phone?

During the pandemic, for example, I wasn't constantly having my phone pinged. I haven't been at anybody's beck and call, etc, etc.

I'd say my quality of life is improved by not having one.

My phone never got pinged.

It's also about how much people are pressured to use it.
School dinners - pay by phone.
Detentions - email and text which tell you to look online to find out why.
Open evening- an email and text telling you to fo online to book an appointment.
Bus ticket- order online then show your phone ticket.
Training for work - log onto a site, quoting a security code...

I don't find any of that a boon to my life.

Blue Belle I am with you all the way I wouldnt be without mine, but if you dont need one and woudnt use one well dont bother about what others say, dont let opinions of others make you buy one.

we have a basic phone - not a smartphone. it is switched off 99% of the time . My view is that phones are for emergency use only. Sometimes I have a code sent to the phone when banking to prove it is me. I inherited a smart phone (again not used) that was previously owned by my brother. When I cancelled his contract I was given £1 credit and 9 months later not a penny of it has been touched. I use it to play solitaire on the bus .