Dear LPG, 

I am just wondering what device you are reading this webpage on; might it be your mobile phone?

I never really used one when I was a worker of the world, even though they were becoming more and more popular during the last ten years of my working life, but after I retired my children bought me one.  I am talking about one of those big buttoned, small screened mobiles with an SOS button at the back.  I learnt how to answer it and they gave me a hard time if I did not answer when they called. I soon learned to make sure that it was in my pocket wherever I went just to keep the peace.   According to them they worried about me and even more so if I did not answer immediately or call back in a reasonable time.. 

But then came the pandemic and being stuck at home for far too long.  I suppose with little else to do during those stay-at-home days and family members in far-flung parts of the world, I learned about WhatsApp quite quickly and discovered that being able to chat with, and see, family who lived just down the road was a simple as getting in touch with those long-lost friends and family members who live over the waters (time zones permitting).

That all went well until I made the mistake of phoning an American friend instead of using WhatsApp.  That call was only a couple of minutes long but don’t even ask about the expense.  My children came up with the idea that a pay-as-you-go phone for all my WhatsApp calls would ensure that I could not make that mistake again because the phone that makes the WhatsApp calls does not have enough credit to let me.

So, now that we can again, I meet up with friends many of whom seldom get interrupted with the ping or ring of the phone as often as I do it raises eyebrows.  Other members of my social group own them too, but I cannot help but see the pronounced facial expressions that pulling two mobile phones out of my pockets causes.  Comments have been made and it has got me wondering if I am as addicted as the youngsters.

Many of my friends do have a little bit of square technology with them most of the time but I fear that they all think that I am becoming a mobile junky just because I have two.

Funnily enough I used one of them to ask Google the question the other day and found an online quiz or two designed to help, one to give me a rough idea of the level of addiction I have reached and, having tried more than one, the results are somewhat conclusive; apparently I am afflicted to some extent. 

I would like to give my fellow readers the opportunity to do a bit of their own personal research into the subject by opening the links and having a go at the quizzes.

TI, Catford 

TI shares those quizzes he mentioned….

(►►►)   (►►►)     (►►►)