On smartphones
By Edward Willis (http://encw.xyz)
Published Feb/14/2022

It is crazy how dependent we've become on smartphones, through all of their
functionality. These devices are often linked to cloud services that take
away our control.

Maybe we shouldn't think of new features as something the device can do for
us, and as a good thing, but rather as another part of our lives that the
device, and the company behind it, wants to control, and as a bad thing.

Admittedly Apple claims to encrypt and not have access to the data, and to not
use the data for its own purposes, whilst Google mines the data to sell
advertisements. But they both want to sell you ecosystems that take away your
control.

The question I keep coming up against is this: is the smartphone the new car, or
rather, another car. And by that I mean a device that we've so built into
society that you can't do without one. Most Americans can't do without a car.
Can we do without a smartphone?

I thought the answer was "yes, of course!". But now that I've done it, I realize
that even though you still CAN, there is more to it than that; not using a
smartphone in 2021 is at LEAST a major inconvenience.

You can't use any of the messaging apps that require installation on a cell
phone, even for their desktop functionality. You don't get push notifications,
which is how a lot of announcements and communications go out these days. You
can't use some parking lots. You can't get a ride share if you’re out and about.
ATMs are disappearing at the rate of more than 3500 a year, and branches are
slowly going away too.

Heaven help you if you don't have a cell phone whatsoever. I haven't seen a pay
phone in a long time. Haven't used one in even longer.

The country is optimizing life for smartphones the way it has optimized for
cars. I expect this trend to accelerate as older generations that are at least
somewhat resistant to smartphones die, and businesses and governments look to
save on costs by replacing local infrastructure with apps.

And there isn't really much to be done about any of this. The only positive idea
I've come up with is that those concerned should advocate for open OS standards,
and for businesses and governments to release apps directly to users as well as
through the big stores.

If we do nothing then these little pocket-dwelling control freaks we call
smartphones will become our mandatory burden to bear, and so too will be the
companies that control them.