Smartphones Are No Longer a Status Symbol

Smartphones used to be a status symbol. But that has changed now that everyone has one. Now, the status symbol is in avoiding smartphones.

Not only are screens themselves cheap to make, but they also make things cheaper. Any place that can fit a screen in (classrooms, hospitals, airports, restaurants) can cut costs. And any activity that can happen on a screen becomes cheaper.

The rich do not live like this. The rich have grown afraid of screens. They want their children to play with blocks, and tech-free private schools are booming. Humans are more expensive, and rich people are willing and able to pay for them…All of this has led to a curious new reality: Human contact is becoming a luxury good.