Surely you don't carry your phone everywhere?

[SEmyarse]

Every time there's a discussion about civil liberties, for instance at the moment with ID cards, people always say, why are you worried they can track you by your phone anyway. But that implies that people are always carrying their phones.

I have a phone, I have to for work, and it's very useful outside work as well. I sometimes use it for navigation, and on certain instances I might take it with me if there's a chance I'll need to liaise with someone while out. Super helpful technology.

But surely people aren't taking it to the shops, or on the school run, or out for a walk in the countryside?

No, I never said that, did I? I said that I have a mobile phone that is switched on all the time. I have that at home and I take it out with me. Then I have another phone that is on the floor next to the bed which could save my life if I fall and can't get up. Because someone was asking about charging I said that it is switched off and so it will retain its charge until it is needed. I turn it on occasionally to check it.

I could have a smartphone and have Siri on 24 hours a day. I'm not sure how reliable that would be but if I wanted that I would buy a smart speaker.

🏠 Why a Smart Speaker Could Be Better Than Just a Phone

• 👂 Far-field microphones: Smart speakers are built to pick up voices from several meters away, even if you're speaking softly or from the floor.
• 📶 Always plugged in: Unlike phones, smart speakers don’t go into low-power modes or get buried under blankets or pillows.
• 🗣️ Wake-word reliability: They’re optimized to respond to “Hey Siri,” “Alexa,” or “Hey Google” with minimal delay.
• 📍Room coverage: You can place them strategically in bedrooms, kitchens, or hallways for better access in emergencies.

🆘 Safety Use Case If someone falls and can’t reach their phone:

• A smart speaker is more likely to hear “Hey Siri, call emergency services” than a phone on a bedside table.
• Some smart speakers can be paired with smart home systems or emergency alert services for added protection.

You said “it could be a life threatening decision” very dramatic and based on nothing

im not sure the point of the ChatGPT explanation of speaker vs phone, especially when it covers phones too? Hey siri and hey google has fine wake word on every phone I’ve used. But okay.

You're not alone, I don't take a phone with me everywhere, local retail park, cinema, pub, cafe, I only switch it on when I want to use it, about two phone calls a month, to sister, my only contact..........people can phone on the landline and leave a message, I won't be glued to a phone, but obviously I'd take it on a longer journey in case of emergency, I can recall a time when there weren't any !

The point is that a smart speaker is much more likely to pick up your voice from a distance than a smart phone. Which is what could happen in an emergency. If you don't understand this stuff then it could cost you your life. That might sound dramatic but it is true and important. To you it might be an academic point but for others it is very practical.

Do you not wear one of those emergency buttons?

But your not coming at it from a practical point, just your personal dislike of smartphones it feels like ?
Do you have experience of an iPhone, you’re recommending pp change their parents iphone to brick phone and being dramatic talking about it being a life threatening decision for people to not force their parents over to brick phones but youre using ChatGPT for some random reason to discuss this, do you have experience of them?

there’s zero need for pp to change their mother over to a phone they don’t want, that is not a life threatening decision and guilting pp into thinking it is, is ridiculous, a brick phone solution is not safer.

Do you not wear one of those emergency buttons?

Agree with this. If someone is at risk of finding themselves incapacitated in a crisis situation, an emergency button may be a better (or additional) option to a phone or smart speaker.

I'm not criticising mobile phones, I'm criticising smart phones. I have a mobile phone (apparently the correct word for it is 'feature' phone) but I don't have a smart phone. I have a laptop so that I can do banking etc.

What I do is cheap which is good because the state pension is my only income. However, I would think about forking out for a smart speaker or iWatch which could be good in an emergency. Not a smart phone though.

I live in the north of England, maybe it's different in the south, but when I am asked to pay for something I'm asked 'cash or card?'. It's rare to see someone paying by smartphone. In my favourite shopping destination Grainger Market they often prefer cash or say you can't pay by card unless it's over a certain amount.

Sometimes there are people in the bus queue who let everyone else get on before them because they're still fiddling around with their smart phones. Sometimes they spend ages trying to get it to work. I've got my free bus pass.

I've got loyalty card for a few supermarkets, they can be very small and easy to carry around. I've noticed that one of the supermarkets only has it on smartphone now but I don't go there often.

Why do you keep saying that I want someone to change their mother over to a phone they don't want? I don't care what they do. I just don't like it when someone tells everybody that smartphones are the best option for everybody when that's clearly not true.

I live in sheltered accommodation where I'm used to old people doing all kinds of stuff that compromises their safety. I had a neighbour who was a heavy smoker who told me he loses consciousness sometimes. Before he moved in the smoke detector was bleeping away then stopped when the batteries were completely dead. I suggested to him that he gets the smoke detector seen to and make sure they fit the right model, because the model they are supposed to fit draws electricity from the mains and doesn't rely on batteries. He ignored what I said.

I spoke to him quite a lot but I never suggested to him that it might be a good idea he vapes instead of smokes. Neither did I suggest to him that he have his covid vaccinations when he told me he wasn't going to do it. I don't tell people what to do. If people want a discussion on safety then I'm prepared to contribute to it.

@JennyShaw the card bit of ‘card or cash’ includes the card on your phone.

I just don't like it when someone tells everybody that smartphones are the best option for everybody when that's clearly not true

That poster didn’t say that. She said it was the best option for her mother.

Most people have their phones with them 24/7

That's something that I will be thinking about as I get older. Some people in sheltered accommodation have them, they are connected to the security system as are the pull chords in every room. That might be a better option than the iWatch, although there's no reason why people couldn't have both.

I don't take my phone with me very much. I also spend hours in the garden without my phone. Apparently, most people have ear buds in and listen to music or podcasts but I prefer the sound of nature, and I often do really messy gardening so wouldn't want my phone. However, I know that's unusual and I've even had people turn up at my house to check on me because I'm not answering my phone.

Edit: I'm under 60 btw

‘if you never go for long walks off the beaten track etc then you wouldn't need a phone with you.‘

A phone is useless then. It’s the only time I d take mine because I do go walks of beaten tracks and I have a heart condition, but there is no signal. I’d be better off with the ways we used to manage…carry a couple of flares.

It’s sad to see parents out with their children, or people walking dogs and they are just looking at their phone screen, ignoring the children and dogs. Going out to a pub, or for a meal…see groups of 4 or six, and each is on their phone texting ppl who are not there, instead of conversing with those who are.

Now that is more weird than not locking a door or leaving a phone at home . I don’t lock my door either unless I’m staying away overnight. My last house didn’t even have locks.

Not everyone has a card on their phone. I don’t. The actual card takes up less room in my pocket than my phone , so why carry the phone? Car has satnav if I need it. I certainly refuse to have people think they can just phone and expect an instant reply at their convenience. I’ll check my emails and phone when I finish what I’m doing.

I carry my phone with me at all times, for my convenience. No one has ever indicated that they expect an instant reply from me at their convenience, and indeed they don’t get it. I often have it on ‘do not disturb’ mode, where only calls from my ill mother and my children’s schools can get through. I also only check my emails and phone when I want to. Just because I have it with me doesn’t mean it’s glued to my hand. It’s in my bag unless I need it, but I have it with me for when I do need it.

When there is no signal there is usually an ‘SOS’ ability - ie you can still contact emergency services.

I know it doesn’t. But the poster was saying she doesn’t see phone use because they ask ‘cash or card’. A phone is one way to pay by card if you choose to. That was my only point.

I don't, because I don't think it's healthy to be mentally and physically linked with it 24/7.
Actually, I worry about everyone who does!

But then I was one of the last in my friends to take up carrying a mobile phone at all (even a brick one)....

No need to worry about me, I only carry it with me for my convenience, if it caused me any hardship then I wouldn’t do it 😊.

Good to know. For me, I need the physical disconnect.

What do you mean by ‘mentally linked’?
And what exactly worries you?

I think I know what mentally linked means.

I don't take my phone when I go for leisurely walks or runs.
Less so on my runs, but def when I'm walking LOADS of things pop into my head. Some are important (remember to get new vest for FIL in care home), some are todo list things (put the bins out), some are frivolous (send a gag to a friend), some are niggly things I know I'll forget but don't really matter (jot down a book I want to read).
If I had my phone with me I'd feel compelled to at least send myself a reminder for the important and todo things. Then I might remember I wanted to check the weather for 2 day ahead. Or the feeling of wellbeing I get from being out doors might make me want to phone my sister. I do often have phone calls when I'm out on a walk, I'm not opposed to it, but now and again I need to be entirely w/o it, to have the break and also show myself that I don't always need to 'do it now.

I take my phone and keys pretty much any time I leave home