"It was the size of a brick"

a friend reminded me. We were looking at an old mobile 'phone and talking about one which was even older.

The one we were looking at was about the size of a thick Penguin paperback I suppose. It was certainly larger and thicker than those owned by my family and friends now.

I remember the phone she was talking about. It belonged to our late friend I... . I...worked at the airport and the phone in question was one of the very earliest phones available. It was not really quite the size of a brick but it was big. It was not something you could have carried around in your pocket.

From memory all you could do was make and receive calls on it. I do not remember seeing a screen. It was more like a "walkie-talkie". Very few people had one and the range seemed to be limited. That is about all I can remember - except that it made I...'s job both easier and more difficult.

Now it seems everyone has a phone and the use of them is causing problems. This country is intending to try and bring in a "social media ban" for those under the age of sixteen. This is intended to prevent them from accessing harmful content, bullying each other, becoming obsessed with them and much more. It is unlikely to work, especially as the tech companies are to be held responsible rather than the parents.

That made me consider the issue of adults and their phone use. Phones are much smaller now. Middle Cat can clip hers to a holder in the car and use it "hands free". If it rings while she is driving the identity of the caller comes up on a screen and she can choose to  accept or reject the call. All this is legal but I do not like it. I still see it as a distraction. 

And so many people still use their phones in the normal hand held way when they are in the driver's seat. They have one hand on the wheel and one on the phone. That conversation simply cannot wait. It may be about the most trivial matter in the universe but the conversation needs to be held there and then. 

I think it would be good if phones were as big as bricks again.