World population reaches 8 billion

[ProfessorDetective]

Most folks' expectations are three square meals, a stable roof over their heads, AND a working phone. Preferable from only working one job, MAYBE two.

People gave up on the big house and the two cars back around 2008. Now we've given up on the 2.5 kids. How much lower do we have to sink?

Hopefully we'll come to realise that things like a big house (well bigger than you need for your family) aren't all they're cracked up to be anyway. Not sure how giving up wanting to have enough children to keep growing an already excessive population is "sinking."

The phone is a fairly trivial luxury, if you mean mobile. It's rather worrying that people have got so obsessed with them that they view them as a basic need.

Yes, because basic remote communication with family, friends, and employers is such a non-necessity. Also, most sites requiring Two-Factor for logins.

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

Phones are secure enough to streamline authentication for systems involving both credit cards and government identification.

[Nealithi]

The phone is a fairly trivial luxury, if you mean mobile. It's rather worrying that people have got so obsessed with them that they view them as a basic need.

I recently got a new job. Package handler for FedEx ground. You need the phone and the ability to text just to get the job, then it with an app are the only means for you to get your schedule and ask for extra shifts. UPS is in a similar position and the app used is not proprietary it is its own other company.

My previous job when we got bought out? The new company wanted everyone on smart phones for zoom meetings, and texts.

Follow that up that my jury duty this year required a zoom meeting for orientation and may have gone for virtual jury service. (I was not selected).

So I think society is making the smart phone a necessity.

[McAvoy]

Cell phone is more than just a phone with some fun apps.

It's a literal mobile computer with alot of functions that does streamline alot of things.

Take for example, you are the middle of nowhere and you need to look up a reference for a job that you need. Well, your phone can do that.

Before that you may have needed to haul around a bunch of manuals. Now your phone can do that. All in the space of a pocket.

Need to respond to an important email about a new job or part or something coming in about the availability to pick it up or be somewhere on time? Cell phone.

Gotta do math? Use your calculator that your teacher said you wouldnt be carrying with you.

Lastly, there are no pay phones. Or they are rare. Landlines are going away.

Now unnecessary luxury would be saying you need the latest and greatest model of phone every year or two.

[ProfessorDetective]

Thank you all for reenforcing my point. No one needs the iPhone 15 or Pixel 7, but just about everyone needs SOMETHING.

[Riedquat]

The phone is a fairly trivial luxury, if you mean mobile. It's rather worrying that people have got so obsessed with them that they view them as a basic need.

I recently got a new job. Package handler for FedEx ground. You need the phone and the ability to text just to get the job, then it with an app are the only means for you to get your schedule and ask for extra shifts. UPS is in a similar position and the app used is not proprietary it is its own other company.

My previous job when we got bought out? The new company wanted everyone on smart phones for zoom meetings, and texts.

Follow that up that my jury duty this year required a zoom meeting for orientation and may have gone for virtual jury service. (I was not selected).

So I think society is making the smart phone a necessity.

Society has managed to rearrange itself in to a situation where in many cases carrying around a bunch of expensive electronics to do things that could be done without it with no real hassle is almost unavoidable. Doesn't make it fundamentally necessary. Or not ridiculous. And that's just in jobs. You certainly don't need one for your ordinary day to day life. I don't feel I'm missing out on anything by not having one.

You're right in that society is trying to make a smart phone a necessity but all that means is that society is becoming increasingly farcical. You'll probably need an app just to put your shoes on in ten years' time, and no doubt it'll attract the same sort of jokers saying how great that is, because they're too fvcking lazy and inept to do even the most trivial things themselves without a big pile of electronics.

I make no apologies whatsoever for my contempt towards such people.

[Fuzzy Necromancer]

A smartphone is necessary in this society in the same way that an income is necessary, or legal ID is necessary. It shouldn't be needed to get through life, but the fact is that it is needed to get through life, and if you don't have one you will be locked out of society's benefits.

[Thebestoftherest]

Or a car, there are a lot of jobs where if you don't have a ride your doom.

[Nealithi]

Or a car, there are a lot of jobs where if you don't have a ride your doom.

IE my last eight jobs. Even when I was in the service they wanted me to get a drivers license to drive for everything. And almost all of it because no one seems to want a good public transportation. And I mean we need a 24hr train and bus system. Not one or two new busses.

[TGLS]

Or a car, there are a lot of jobs where if you don't have a ride your doom.

IE my last eight jobs. Even when I was in the service they wanted me to get a drivers license to drive for everything. And almost all of it because no one seems to want a good public transportation. And I mean we need a 24hr train and bus system. Not one or two new busses.

Part of it has to do with how North American cities have really leaned in to urban sprawl, in part because many people want to live in the suburbs, which closes that loop I suppose.