Many items have "evolved" as extensions of ourselves. Cars, clothes, tools, all ways to extend our influence in to the world. But few things are as personal, or as important, as an extension of our mind.
No other item in history could record our every thought, insight, and perception of the world around us with such accurate memory, in such great detail, as the smartphone. As such it IS our second brain. Our second conscience that reminds us to wake up, remembers the phone numbers and birthdays of friends and family, and allows us instant, unfettered access to the global mind of the internet.
It's a big deal, and a hard thing to let go of. Congrats for making it through. I dunno what I would do in your spot, but I doubt I'd be dragging a card table around so I could play a game of solitaire in the bathroom...
Well said. I know my whole post is a total first world problem. I should be worrying about where I am securing food or resources to support my family and I. Instead, I'm concerned about a rectangle. A rectangle that is essentially, as you articulated so well, my second brain. It's weird to take a step back and look at our existence sometimes. Even weirder if you are playing solitaire in the bathroom while doing so!
On the one hand, you can see it as a first world problem but on the other, if I had a literal, biological, "second brain" that i could carry around as a backup, I would take GREAT CARE of that mushy blob, and be very weary of ANYONE who dared ask to touch it, much less OPERATE on it to restore some busted functionality covered by warranty. I dont think all of your issues are as unfounded as you may want to dismiss them as. Sure, tiny rectangle, and if you were already starving or without home, less important. But as it stands, holds a lot of personal secrets that could be exploited by others. Past GPS locations, pictures of house, friends, family, etc. It's got a lot of space for skeletons in a tiny rectangular closet.