Kauffman sightings have grown increasingly scarce. It's too bad. He's great. His most recent offering at The Spectator is mediocre (by Kauffman standards), but it's worth posting for the lede itself: he couldn't order a bagel at an airport because he doesn't own a cell phone, much less a smart one. The rest of the short essay is a mild screed against a culture that is banging itself over the head with the cell phone.
I sometimes wonder what it would be like if I had never owned a cell phone or if I were to get rid of mine. I think it'd be like living like those ex-hippies in northern California, where they do everything for themselves. It's idyllic, but man, it's a lot of work . . . and a heckuva lot more work than opting to live a limited existence on the grid, which is probably the smarter option.
I suspect the same is true with the cell phone. I'd probably need two or three devices to have access to the apps that are truly beneficial (Audible, podcasts, and a few others), whereas I can currently access all of them with just one device. One device is easier and less expensive.
But what else is that one device costing me? That, I suppose, is the real question.
Related
Am I an Idiot for Wanting a Dumber Phone?
From Wired
