Be more Simon Cowell

I've been giving it some thought, and I think we should all be more Simon Cowell.

I'm not suggesting that we become incredibly successful multi-millionaire music moguls - although that would be good - and don high-waisted black trousers, Cuban heels and wear a white shirt open to the navel to display our hairy chests.  But if that's what you'd really like to do, go ahead, I won't judge you.

No, what I'm musing on is whether we should try to give up our mobile phones.  Simon made headlines recently when he admitted he hadn't switched his on in ten months.

My first thought was 'ooh, what if his partner wanted to reach him in an emergency?' but then I realised he probably has an assistant or two with multiple devices between them and they could pass on the message.

Is it feasible for the rest of us though?  Could we revisit a world where the only phone we had was anchored to a cable and sat proudly atop its own designated table, probably in the hallway?

OK, even a Luddite like me has a digital handset I can walk about the house with, but you get the idea.

Now the genie is out of the bottle and in every pocket in the land, how would it work?

Having said that, my parents haven't used their mobile in over ten years.  When I upgraded mine I gave them the handset and a new SIM card, showed them how to use it etc, thinking it would be handy in case of emergencies.

It promptly disappeared to the bottom of my mother's handbag, never to see the light of day again. 

So they along with Simon Cowell - not a phrase I ever thought I'd say - are proof that you can live quite successfully without a mobile phone.

Could the rest of us?  I think a reduction in use would certainly be possible, but to give mine up altogether - how would I check the BBC weather app?!