Behind the screens

Smartphones have become a ubiquitous part of moden life. There are already more mobiles on the planet than there are people, and yet vast advertising spend is directed at encouraging consumers to upgrade. Phones are kept for 2-3 years and replaced, often thrown away long before they are broken.

If you’ve been watching the football in the UK recently, you may have seen an advert that encapsulates this drive for novelty. A woman sees a friend with a folding phone, and obsesses about it until s...