Originally Posted by
Zea
I always wonder what is behind these types of generalizations. I think that often it may be that older generations are seeing the things younger people use phones for and deeming them as "less important", or are not able to understand them in context... kind of the same way it always seems to work with music from generation-to-generation. A middle aged career-addicted businessman, mom with kids at home, sports fan stuck working during a game, politics obsessed person, etc etc etc will all become just as disproportionately upset at lack of a phone signal, or even lack of wifi, as a younger person wanting to send a snapchat or what not. The reason that basically all hotels, and now even some campgrounds have free wifi is not because "millenials"(which includes up to age 34) were complaining, the older generation is just as responsible for this device oriented society.
I'm a returning student who takes both day and night courses(going on 4 years now)... days being mostly 18-24 year olds, nights being more in the 30-40's, with a few above and below that. Regardless of which class I'm in, before class starts and during any breaks, typically no one is talking, and there will only be one or two people not staring at their phones until the professor starts speaking again. This includes the professors. During lecture, it seems like phone usage is actually much heavier by the older crowd, possibly due to coordinating with families or children at home. One person may be using their phone to post on instagram or snapchat, and another may be setting up a babysitter for the next night or checking work emails. It doesn't mean either are more or less attached to their devices, everyone just uses them for different purposes.
I think that saying "I don't have a smartphone" or "I don't use my phone a lot" is becoming the new "I'm a vegan" for some people, enmeshing some sort of association with a self-righteous philosophy with a simple unimpressive act that no one really cares about. While the social impact of smartphones and the effects on neurotransmitter activity by the instant gratification is an intriguing debate to have, saying that 'millennials' are in some way in a special category of phone-usage just isn't really true. If using a phone a lot is something you view as a "bad" thing, then most age groups are very guilty.
Due to a lack of finances I have an old brick phone at the moment, but if I were to thru hike I would likely upgrade just for convenience sake. I hike often on the AT and have seen map apps and internet searches for shuttles/supply points/weather updates help people out before. If I'm doing a few days out in the backcountry I never bring my phone since service is usually non-existent anyway so why add the weight, but I do have a Delorme InReach if I'm solo... it has a weather option now so it basically covers all the bases for me.