I grew up without an iPhone. I wish people weren’t so attached to theirs.

Essay by

The Gen X author, on vacation as a child, was photographed with an analog camera — not an iPhone. Courtesy of the author

2025-11-08T15:44:01Z

• I’m a Gen Xer, and I was raised long before the digital age took over.
• I’m relieved that smartphones, Instagram, and Snapchat weren’t around when I was younger.
• Recently, at an Oasis concert, most of what I could see was other people’s phone screens.

I went to see Oasis this fall after buying pricey, last-minute tickets in the nosebleed seats.

It was great, but my husband and I paid $275 each for the privilege of mostly watching the band through the iPhone screens of the fans in front of us. They must have taken photos or videos during at least a third of the show.


The author recently attended an Oasis concert and, apart from taking some photos like this, resisted snapping scores of smartphone photos. Courtesy of the author

I’m a Gen Xer who has attended a fair number of concerts in my lifetime. My spouse, a boomer born in 1961, boasts that he has attended over 100 concerts in his lifetime; he’s even seen one of his favorite 1970s bands a total of 34 times.

As for me, I was most impressed by a U2 concert at London’s Wembley Stadium in the late 1980s with a group of friends from college. Of course, none of us had cellphones then. We danced and sang our hearts out. Nearly 40 years later, I treasure the memory of being unplugged, rather than worrying that I hadn’t captured the best shot or video to post on Instagram or Facebook.

Smartphones can be so distracting, it’s hard to enjoy what’s right in front of us

While I’m grateful for technology, I wish it weren’t so ubiquitous. It’s not just at concerts, of course. Last year, while watching a Broadway show, a phone rang. It belonged to the woman next to me, and she frantically searched her purse to find it. She answered — only to speak loudly enough for me to hear her plans for after the performance. I gave her a cold, hard stare, but nobody else reacted.

I’ve also spent many a school recital with my view blocked by an overzealous parent with a smartphone. Who wants to see a frame-by-frame recording of the whole event?

I don’t need to take photos of my children from every angle. However, it hasn’t stopped other people from blocking the aisles or crouching down in front of other parents to do so.

Even if they’re not holding their cell directly in my line of sight, the light on the screen can be distracting. The need also puts pressure on kids to pose for as many photos as possible until their adult is satisfied with the perfect shot.


The author chose not to pose, but to enjoy the moment while tubing in her 20s. Courtesy of the author

I’ve taken extreme measures with my family, but I’m not perfect, either

As for my own family, I’ve tried to ban phones at mealtimes for years. The kids are always on TikTok; their dad reads The Wall Street Journal on the app between mouthfuls.

It’s driven me to extreme measures, such as locking devices in a box before lunch and dinner. Anything to encourage conversation. It’s difficult for me to admit this, but my methods have failed mainly because I tend to give in after five minutes. After all, the whining is unbearable, and it’s easier not to resist.

Still, I’m no saint. I celebrated my wedding anniversary in June and found myself sneakily checking my texts at the restaurant. If only I could say my husband was at the bar or in the bathroom at the time.

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