Chapter 1: The Smartphone Dilemma

Do you share my frustration? Are you also struggling to reclaim control over your smartphone? I can't help but wonder if this feeling is becoming increasingly common, especially among older adults. In the United States alone, there are over 300 million smartphones, with approximately 85% of adults using them daily.

These devices, which once seemed harmless, have become so embedded in our lives that many people feel unable to function without one at their side for every conceivable scenario.

Let’s be honest: smartphones aren’t just phones anymore. They’ve morphed into compact computers, capable of delivering a wealth of knowledge at our fingertips.

It's as if they've ingested every encyclopedia, dictionary, and manual ever created, storing the entirety of human knowledge for us to retrieve whenever we wish. They are remarkable technological inventions, overflowing with endless information.

Their cheerful and colorful appearances hide a treasure trove of capabilities. They can communicate in virtually any language, solve complex math problems, instantly correct our typos, forecast the weather days ahead, and keep us connected to friends around the clock.

If you own a newer model, you might not encounter issues until it’s paid off. Manufacturers design these devices to become outdated after a few years, ensuring you feel compelled to buy the next version to avoid functional obsolescence.

As smartphone ownership reaches nearly universal levels, the only way for companies to increase profits is to ensure that devices begin to malfunction after a short period. If you find yourself unable to afford a new device, you may be left with an older model that suddenly starts showing signs of distress.

Unless you’re particularly tech-savvy or, dare I say, a younger individual who grew up surrounded by technology, you might find your older phone begins to experience inexplicable problems.

Take my Google Pixel 6, for example, which is already displaying symptoms of planned obsolescence. My Assistant, once reliable, decided to stop responding to me for about two weeks.

I attempted every suggested fix I could find through settings, YouTube tutorials, and countless apps, but every avenue led to dead ends and irrelevant information.

Eventually, I reached out to a younger friend, who was able to untangle the mess I had created in my desperate quest for a solution. It turns out I had unintentionally caused my phone to misunderstand me. Frustrated by its incomprehensible responses, I raised my voice and demanded it never speak to me in that confusing language again.

Perhaps feeling offended by my outburst—or just being its usual impersonal self—it chose to go silent altogether, as if sulking.

My neighbor, using her youthful intuition, deduced that the strange language was Indonesian, which had somehow been prioritized next to the English option. But my smartphone interpreted my demand as a request to cease all communication entirely.

After some troubleshooting, my friend managed to reposition the Indonesian language option, placing English at the top of the list. Suddenly, my helpful Assistant was back. I could almost sense a hint of condescension in its tone.

Has something like this ever happened to you? It seems we’re all in this together...

Chapter 2: Navigating the Tech Trap

As we navigate our relationship with technology, it becomes clear that smartphones can be as much a source of stress as they are a tool for convenience.