I agree it's not a necessity but it's certainly convenient (maps, gps, looking something up on google). It doesn't have to be one extreme or another. I certainly don't spend 4.7 hours per day on my phone (I don't believe that could possibly be an accurate stat), or spend $1000 on it. Buy a cheap phone and plan, turn off all notifications except calls and you get the best of both worlds.
Yeah my mother and my dentist are very adamant about how it help them. They're both old and lived for decades without any type of gadget. And cant even bother to learn how to use the remote control of the TV (very convenient to check the program, or the time of stuff, change channel, etc ) I wonder if it's a testament to how useful the device is, or it is just addictive as a drug. I tend toward the drug.