1. Cost

One of the greatest advantages of not owning a smartphone is that you save yourself an awful lot of money. They cost hundreds of pounds or dollars. You could put the money to much better use, such as going on vacation or towards a car. Or you could just save the money! There's no need to spend so much. A basic cell phone will deal with calls and texts, which is all you really need a phone to do.

2. Theft

Smartphones are clearly desirable to thieves. People aren't discreet in using their phones, walking down the street with them clearly visible. You could lose a valuable item in a few seconds. Even if you're insured, you've got the hassle of reporting the theft, cancelling your contract, and replacing the phone. Whereas a simple phone is of much less interest to thieves.

3. Damage

Cell phones are obviously vulnerable to damage as well. Over the years, I've dropped mine on one of the busiest roads in town and even down the toilet. Both phones survived the mishap, and neither was expensive. Imagine if you dropped your expensive iPhone into water - what are the chances of it ever working again?

4. Slave to Technology

Spain, where I live, is in economic crisis. Yet virtually everyone you see has a smartphone. We've become conditioned to think that we must have the latest gadgets, and that not having the same as everyone else will make us look dated. People are constantly checking things on their phone. Is technology there for our convenience, or are we dependent on it?

5. Upgrades

Yes, you can buy yourself a lovely shiny smartphone if you love gadgets. The problem is that almost as soon as you buy it, the model is rendered out of date. The makers bring out a 'better' version, and make you think that you need to upgrade. You could end up buying a new version every year - that's a lot of money to spend.

6. Screen Size

Personally, when I want to connect to the internet I prefer to look at a larger screen. I don't want to peer at a screen that is barely a few inches long. So a smartphone isn't really worth it for me. A larger screen is easier on your eyes, so prolonged used of a smartphone might strain your eyesight.

7. Individuality

A smartphone seems to be one of those things that people get because everyone else has one. It's not essential, and we managed perfectly well without them up to now. Aside from saving a lot of money, refusing to get a smartphone could be a way of showing that you're an individual who isn't swayed by pressure.

Smartphones certainly have their uses. They're handy, for example, if you need information on the spot. However, they're not an essential item and are very expensive. Consumers are conditioned into thinking that they must upgrade to a smartphone and that they'll look out of touch if they don't have one. Are you a smartphone refusenik, or can you not imagine life without one?