>Frankly I don't see any disagreement. I didn't say "old guys" as an epithet. They call themselves that...
As an older (never old! Okay not for another ten years or so. :) ) guy, I can say that while I do have a smartphone, I primarily use it as a (gasp) phone. I also do SMS (Signal is preferred, but many folks aren't security conscious) and read email.
I don't use my phone for anything that has or could have financial implications -- phones just aren't secure enough for that.
What's more, after being an early adopter of social media (FB in 2004), I gave it up years ago because the business model was clearly exploitative and I wanted no part of it anymore.
Besides, as an IT/InfoSec professional, I spend way too much time looking at screens anyway and don't need to be constantly looking at my phone too.
Heck, I just went and ran a few errands and didn't even bring the damn thing with me.
I'd point out that it wasn't very long ago that few people had mobile devices. In fact, when I was a child, few people even had (now obsolete) answering machines in their homes.
And wonder of wonders, we managed to do just fine.
Sure, it's useful to have a device that allows me to look up directions or get information about someplace I may be going, or let others know if I need to change plans or similar stuff. But that's just convenience, not a necessity.
I've been working with, designing and implementing internetworking solutions since ~1990, most of that time as a paid professional, so I'm not exactly a Luddite either.
In fact, I'm more technical than most younger people. And because I've been doing InfoSec for decades, I'm aware of the risks, as well as the benefits of being constantly connected.
IMHO, unless there's some important reason to be tethered to one's device (a family member's health, on-call duties, etc.) the risks often outweigh the benefits.
As an older (never old! Okay not for another ten years or so. :) ) guy, I can say that while I do have a smartphone, I primarily use it as a (gasp) phone. I also do SMS (Signal is preferred, but many folks aren't security conscious) and read email.
I don't use my phone for anything that has or could have financial implications -- phones just aren't secure enough for that.
What's more, after being an early adopter of social media (FB in 2004), I gave it up years ago because the business model was clearly exploitative and I wanted no part of it anymore.
Besides, as an IT/InfoSec professional, I spend way too much time looking at screens anyway and don't need to be constantly looking at my phone too.
Heck, I just went and ran a few errands and didn't even bring the damn thing with me.
I'd point out that it wasn't very long ago that few people had mobile devices. In fact, when I was a child, few people even had (now obsolete) answering machines in their homes.
And wonder of wonders, we managed to do just fine.
Sure, it's useful to have a device that allows me to look up directions or get information about someplace I may be going, or let others know if I need to change plans or similar stuff. But that's just convenience, not a necessity.
I've been working with, designing and implementing internetworking solutions since ~1990, most of that time as a paid professional, so I'm not exactly a Luddite either.
In fact, I'm more technical than most younger people. And because I've been doing InfoSec for decades, I'm aware of the risks, as well as the benefits of being constantly connected.
IMHO, unless there's some important reason to be tethered to one's device (a family member's health, on-call duties, etc.) the risks often outweigh the benefits.
Now get off my lawn!
Edit: Added context WRT convenience vs. necessity