Because we still need certain utilities on our phone, like Maps and Music and Search and Camera. Those aren't the problems--we still want those things, which are not addictive and fruitful, but we want less of things which are addictive and fruitless, like Twitter and Reddit. Cigarettes have no such essential and positive utility.
>Because we still need certain utilities on our phone
You don't "need" any of those things, humans got on with life just fine without them for 100,000s of years, smartphones have only existed for the last 15.
>Maps
Look it up on a computer before you go, or ask someone on the street for directions. The only "benefit" having maps on a phone gives you is that you can completely avoid talking to people and just stare down at a screen instead.
>Music
MP3 players still exist. Or just ditch the music and be present in the moment.
>Search
I have never spontaneously needed to search something that couldn't wait 30 minutes until I was back at a computer.
>Camera
If you're going somewhere you know you're going to want to take pictures then take a proper camera. Otherwise you probably don't need one. I can't think of a single instance in the past 2 years where I needed to take a picture of something that actually mattered without knowing beforehand.
> You don't "need" any of those things, humans got on with life just fine without them for 100,000s of years, smartphones have only existed for the last 15.
That's an odd thing to say. Humans got on with life just fine without electricity, central heating, public education, public transportation, computers, and the internet. I'm grateful I have access to them.
What's the cutoff for things that didn't exist for the majority of the humankind, but are good to have?
That's why I like this phone that can do those things, but I really have to be sure I want to do them.
It's surprising how often I actually don't, though. Rarely am I going anywhere I actually don't know how to go. Rarely do I actually need to take a photo of something (though to be fair, I've never really been into photography; this would be different for people who are). I prefer quiet to music (although again, admittedly, I know I'm not the norm here). And not being able to search the answer to any old thing whenever I want? Turns out I forget most of those things by the time I get to a computer, so I guess they weren't terribly important. I make more of a point of trying to learn things now.
I don't distract myself as much as I used to. I feel like I'm actually more present when I'm present because I don't have anywhere else to be.
YMMV, but there's no perfect solution. Everything has tradeoffs. You just have to choose which set you care about most.
>though to be fair, I've never really been into photography; this would be different for people who are
Anyone who is seriously into photography will be carrying a proper camera. The idea of professional photographers using smartphone cameras is just pure marketing bullshit IMO. Smartphone cameras are severely limited by physics and always will be.
As someone who used to be heavily into photography, my smartphone may as well have not even had a camera because if I wanted to go out and take pictures I would bring my DSLR.
Plenty of photographers have admitted that phone cameras often are "the camera you have" when the great shot arises unexpectedly, at which point the unreasonable quality they offer given their constraints comes in handy.
They are also excellent B-stock video cams in live settings etc.
