It’s good not to talk

How on Earth did we get by before the invention of the smartphone? How did we manage to survive?

So dependent have we become on the phones in our pockets that the days before their existence seem positively mediaeval. Anyone who has misplaced a phone – even for just a few seconds – will know the feeling of dread panic that descends until its recovery. Our lives – from cherished family photos to the details of every friend we have – are stored on our phones.

No wonder we find it so difficult to be without them. The downside of ever-advancing smartphone technology is that it is increasingly difficult to stay out of touch with people. So we don’t necessarily see a downside in swathes of the country still being without mobile phone reception. The RAC makes the point that this is bad news for any motorists who break down in certain areas. We’re bound to point out that people survived in the days before the mobile phone.

Doesn’t a break from the bleeps and buzzes that deliver news of the latest Twitter row or Brexit catastrophe seem rather appealing right now?