Getting rid of Smartphones.

I'd much rather be sat next to someone on the train using their phone, than folding and unfolding one of those horrendous broadsheet newspapers of old !

I love my phone.

See something cool you want to share with a friend or family member. Snap a picture and send. Helps me stay connected to family abroad.

Don't know where you are or where you're going. Navigation apps.

Instant access to your money via features like tap and online banking.

Music, films and books at your fingertips. Spotify is amazing. Pretty much any song in the world you fancy, instantly !

Settle an argument or simply answer a question. An encyclopaedia in your pocket.

So many health and sport apps. Pedometers, heart rate monitors, sleep monitors.

I'd say the golden rule though is enhance your life WITH it, don't live your life ON it.

I know that guy.

The only time I really care about people using smart phones, is when I'm approaching a car on the road, and I can see the oncoming drivers eyes are looking down while their head is facing me.

I see it so often nowadays. I don't fancy one of them taking me out. Drivers can't even put them down whilst driving.

Social media plays a big part. Delete all your social media accounts, I bet after a few months people won't even notice and may even be happier.

I am old so never really got into the whole social media craze, had a go at Twitter for the sports but quickly tired of it. I've a smartphone and as others have said i'td be hard to give it up now with WhatsApp, google maps, online banking to name three important aspects for me anyway. I've family scattered around the world and I get to speak to them every week, see pics of my nieces and nephews. I cringe when I see teenagers walking down the street glued to their phones. Phone Zombies myself and my son call them.

It's all down to the adults, we have a simple rule, no electronic devices allowed at meal times, ever. We have two boys 11 and 12 they are getting to the age where we are thinking about getting them smart phones. Mostly for safety reasons, calling them when they are out with friends etc. Myself and my wife had our eyes opened after watching that documentary "The Social Dilemma" and we have decided to ban all social media until they are at least 16 years old. I know we will get some pushback on this in the coming years but we won't budge, we pay the phone bills so we make the rules.

The thing about smartphones is that while they can come across as a distraction at times, they are also pretty useful when you need them and I think that is the deciding factor for me to keep using a smartphone. In fact, yesterday I had to use my Maps app to navigate my way to Marlay Park because I was unsure of the directions I was taking. I'm quite thankful that I had it on my smartphone because I might have made a wrong turn or gotten lost. It's moments like those when you can really appreciate smartphones I think.

That being said, I wouldn't be using a smartphone 6 hours a day. That would be overkill.

Live and let live I say.

Was Just about to say that and I'd include You Tube in that as well. The suggested videos if randomly followed end up with some very strange "content"

Their have been many studies on the use of negative engagement to hook viewers which is having a very messed up effect on young people.

People give Facebook a hard time but GoogIe are probably worse for this. These two company's are too dependent on free data from customers. They literally use models that augment people's behavior to keep them engaged. It's crazy that they're even legal.

Ah the auld flash fleadh to bejaysus ti's a sight to behold

Downgrading to the AGM M7 from my old Xiaomi smartphone. It does have apps and smartphone stuff so to speak, but much more locked down and slim.

Dealing without the Ulster Bank app will be a pain, but I have revolut for the time being.

Even before smartphones people would play basic games on Nokia phones , download ringtones, I think it would be hard to be a young person with no smartphone, they use it to socialise, take photos, get a cab, the problem now every company expects you to download an app

, people used mp3 players or Sony Walkman, radios before smartphones existed

I think even poor kids now have Xbox, Sony consoles and large flat screen tvs

Young people use smartphones to study , get a job, socialise, message friends, date,

I know some people that live in a rural area, thier only connection to the web is using a smartphone, broadband is not avaidable in some areas

A smartphone is not a luxury item some country's have 500meg Internet very fast fibre , the tech for broadband optical fibre is well. Known at this point it's just its expensive to install cables to every building and to dig up roads

Weaned myself off Facebook, twitter and reddit. Never really liked Instagram. It really is mental how addictive they make those apps.

Still sticking with trusty old boards though. There no fear of them implementing a super addictive algorithm - they're still struggling with the clocks going forward in April

I was happy enough with a 'limited' smartphone -> one that had access to basics apps like bus times, weather and maybe something like aertel. Playing music \ podcasts.

If I wanted to do some proper surfing needed a computer.

Having the entire internet and social media available 24 x 7... doesn't really feel like progress.

The genie is out of the bottle though.

I don't think the issue is smartphones, rather people's inability to be with their own thoughts, young people in particular seem to be completely incapable of just sitting on a train etc watching the world go by. As others have mentioned smartphones are incredibly convenient, we just need to learn to moderate our usage of non value add apps like Instagram etc.