Are smartphones really so important?
To find the answer to that, we'll have to rewind to the late 20th century. 
Then, smartphones, in a form of telephones were nothing but a tool used for communication. Very less people used to have it in their homes. 
But now, they are in everybody's hands, from kids to old people, from domestic helpers to billionares, from the North pole to the south, everyone has this little rectangular piece of plastic, metal, and glass. But, coming back to our topic, have they become so important? Well, the answer is YES. 

How do we pay? In India, using PayTM or Google Pay, mostly, and very less people carry cash nowadays and prefer the technological way. 
How do we communicate? Either phone calls or social media, right? People meet less and prefer technology, again.
How do we entertain ourselves? Youtube, Facebook, Instagram and many more.
Not everyone would like to see a magic show, a theatrical program, or a circus. We like to sit in the comfort of our homes and watch movies on Netflix, isn't it?
Let's say you've come to Jaipur for the first time and wish to go to the Hawa Mahal.  
Would you hire a navigator or a guide, see the boards on the streets, or use Google Maps? 
The latter, right?
In bygone days, for meetings, we used to go to the clients' office, but now meetings are done easily on Zoom, Google Meet and many other platforms, from the comfort of our homes.  

During the Coronavirus pandemic, activities were done easily using technology like online classes, work from home, online meetings etc.
These pieces of metal do have many boons, I agree, but everything that shines isn't gold.
Instead of enjoying at parties and events, people are too focused on clicking pictures to post on social media, get likes and checking WhatsApp messages.
If we get bored, instead of interacting with new people, we switch on our mobiles and start scrolling. 
Smartphones have become a necessity nowadays. If WiFi and mobile data are turned off for even a day, it feels that life's on a standstill. All these everyday tasks seem very difficult and almost impossible. I have felt that once, and I agree that these have become more important than the people in the late 20th century could even imagine. The other day, we were on a holiday in a place with no internet. With no Google Maps to tell us where to go, and no Instagram reels to keep us from talking, we felt a life out of shorts and reels. 

Smartphones are also impacting relationships. We get information of every minute of our relatives' lives, what they eat for dinner, how their appearance is changing, where they are going. 
Wasn't it fun to wait in anticipation to meet them after months, see how much weight they've lost, how tall they've grown, or what new hairstyle they've got?

We can see pictures of the Taj Mahal on Google, but the feeling to actually stand there, look at the masterpiece and feel the magnificence and aura isn't possible by looking at a glass screen, is it?

Yes, smartphones are very helpful, but no matter the boons and banes, they have become a necessity in our lives and it is quite difficult to live without them, as they have become not just a helpful tool, but an extension of ourselves.