One reason I have it is so my elderly mother who lives alone can reach me if she needs to. Another is to summon help from the car if necessary. Another is to keep in touch with family when we're traveling without having to search for a payphone. Another is so people (kids, husband) can find me for important matters that might come up and I can find them. I don't use the thing for chats or casual conversation, and people who do can be very annoying, besides being pathetic. People can use what's good about new technology with good sense or they can use it in much the same way they live their lives. The technology is not "shite" but the use of it can be.