You don't need a smartphone: a practical, personal guide to downgrading your device [View all]

I've never understood the appeal of smartphones and mostly carry an inexpensive flip phone at my family's insistence. "What if there is an emergency and we need to get in touch with you?" That's the only argument that truly resonates with me.

Years ago I had a job where I had to carry a pager with me when I was on backup call. That was a very important job, arranging for the transport of blood and human organs, so carrying a pager made sense. When I was full-on call I was assigned a lunch-box sized cell phone, but mostly I was expected to stay at home within easy reach of our land line. When the pager or cell phone went off it got the adrenaline flowing. Lives were at stake!

My children got their own personal cell phones years before I did, as high school students. My wife has carried a cell phone ever since they got small enough to carry in her purse. Now she carries two, her personal phone and her work phone. She has a job where lives can be at stake but mostly when her work phone rings it's mundane stuff.

I like my simple flip phone. It's like Star Trek. I mostly use it as a phone.