The free sharing of knowledge and experience is breathtaking and very powerful, but it's funny you mentioned the folks who just can't emerge into the real world.
Many people in foreign and uncomfortable environments will pretend to be talking on their phone for the security of being connected to someone else. I've actually done that myself. Security is important in dangerous areas and even if it's false, who's to know?
There's much to like and much to dislike about our world of smart cell phones. But it's the world we're in. Or at least some of us.
Actually, I once did the same cellphone trick you mention.
I had borrowed Fang’s cellphone to go on a trip to pick up
my uncle from the hospital. I’d had to wash his clothes
from the hospital; so went to a Laundromat. - There was a
couple there who became increasingly threatening the longer
I had to stay. I had given the woman a small amount of
money for food. She had been bitching about not being able
to get her “cornrows” done at the salon. - The man kept
trying to grab my cellphone; but I managed to keep it away
from him & then called Fang to tell him the difficulty I
was beginning to have. Then I threw my clothes into a dryer
and drove away; hoping they would be gone when I got back
to pick up the clothes. - Well, no such luck. - When I
returned, somehow the dryer had jarred open & the clothes
weren’t dry. I just snatched the clothes up & beat a hasty
retreat with the still wet clothes in tow. I then called
a friend of my uncle’s & related the problems I was having
She told me to come on out to their house and dry the
clothes. I ended up spending the night and using her clothes
dryer. It was an “experience”. I don’t travel alone any
more & if I absolutely had to in future; I’d carry my
great,great grandfather’s old Smith & Wesson revolver along
with me for an equalizer. In spite of Hitler-y Clinton.