NOW & THEN #08: SMART PHONE LIFESTYLE

Now & Then: The Smartphone Lifestyle

Wednesday, 3 March 2021

Nowadays, it’s almost unthinkable to leave home without a smartphone. For many, it’s more than just a device—it’s a lifeline. It keeps us connected to family, friends, and work. For most of us, the first thing we reach for in the morning is our smartphone, and it’s also the last thing we check before going to sleep. We’ve become deeply attached—some might say addicted—to this small screen that displays our world in pixels and notifications.

Let me share a real-life scene I witnessed: a couple walked into a restaurant and took their seats. After placing their food order, both immediately turned to their smartphones. They sat in silence, scrolling, tapping—completely absorbed in their screens—until the food arrived. No eye contact. No conversation.

It’s a familiar sight. On the MRT to KL, the moment passengers sit down, their heads bow—not in prayer, but into their phones. No one looks at anyone else. Everyone is plugged in, lost in their own digital bubble. One day, a Malay woman sat beside me and quietly read the Quran on her phone. On another day, a foreign worker stood right in front of me, having a loud video call. I wished I could politely tell him to lower his voice—or better still, throw his phone out the window!

The smartphone is a powerful tool, but it also offers countless distractions. Once, while spending time at home with my mother, I became so engrossed in my screen that I forgot she was even there. Gently, she said, “Did you come home to see me or to be with your phone?” Her words hit me like a stone. I put down the device, went over, and hugged her. In Islam, our mothers come first—after Allah and the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). That moment reminded me how easy it is to forget what truly matters.

I’ve always loved electronic gadgets. My love affair with mobile tech began around 2005 with my first smartphone, the Treo 650. But even before that, I was a proud owner of the Palm Pilot—a revolutionary device back in 1998. It was a pocket computer before we had smartphones. I learned how to sync data via infrared, linking it to my Siemens mobile phone. To support this curiosity, I started a group called PalmX, a community of like-minded tech lovers. We weren’t just users—we were experimenters, “hackers” in the old-school sense, trying to make the most of our devices.

When smartphones became mainstream, it felt like we had finally achieved what we had once only dreamed of. The group evolved into a social club of tech enthusiasts. Today, we still talk about tech—but also solar power, smart homes, and other digital tools that shape our modern lives.

Now rewind to the 1970s. In my kampung, we had no electricity, no TV, and certainly no phones. The radio was our only electronic companion. I made my first phone call in 1973 from a red BT public phone box in Sheffield. Other students could call their parents, but for me, it was the humble aerogram. I wrote to my parents every three months. It took one month for a letter to reach them—if it arrived at all. We didn’t even have a post office. The postman would leave letters at a shop in Kedai Beris.

Compare that with my nieces, who studied medicine overseas and could video call their parents any time. Even my mother, who once relied on handwritten letters, eventually learned to use WhatsApp to chat with her grandchildren across the world.

The smartphone is both blessing and burden. During Malaysia’s MCO (Movement Control Order) in the COVID-19 era, it became an essential tool—helping us work from home, attend classes, shop online, and stay connected. But it’s still just a tool. How we use it makes all the difference. It has its pros and cons. Use it wisely.

As someone from the old school, I still prefer tradition where it matters. A wedding invitation should be on a proper card—not a Google Form or an SMS. Some things deserve to be done the old-fashioned way.

When I graduated with a degree in civil engineering in 1976, I was excited to be part of nation-building—constructing roads, bridges, airports, and water systems. I used to feel sorry for my electronic engineering friends who joined Jabatan Telekom Malaysia. It seemed boring back then. But when the cellular boom began, they were the ones leading the digital revolution, while civil works started to feel less exciting. That’s the cycle of progress—what’s once dull can become the engine of change.

Today, smartphone penetration in Malaysia is over 90%. Everyone has one—grandparents, children, even toddlers. It’s no longer just a phone. It’s a pocket computer. As an engineer, I marvel at how much power fits in my palm.

For me, a smartphone must have a good camera. I’m willing to spend more than RM2,000 just to have one that captures quality photos. My current device is the Samsung Galaxy Note10 Lite. I take most of my street and travel photos with it. I still use my Fujifilm X-T20 on special occasions, but for everyday moments, my phone is always with me—and as photography gurus say, “The best camera is the one you have with you.”

Another feature I truly appreciate is navigation. Whether I’m in a car, on a bicycle, or walking, my phone guides me. It also tracks my steps and helps me share my location with family. For safety, whenever I go out alone, I send my live location to our family WhatsApp group.

Let’s stay connected—but let’s also stay present.