I get that people want to keep up with the modern devices that are used today but are they a real need? We might have to upgrade our devices once in a while but is it a necessity to do it all the time when our not so old phones are still usable and reliable? We should keep our devices until getting a new one is a requirement, preventing a larger amount of carbon emitted.

I believe that they are everything except a need. Now a days a new model of cell phone comes out about once every 6 months, and the only thing that changes is the name. I get it that if you have the most upgraded Iphone you are cooler than others, but is not this kind of things that make you a better person. If you want to be a better person you also have to think about the environment, for example by starting recycling your phone. Cell phones contain dangerous materials for the enivornment, such as lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium, and brominated flame retardants. When cell phones are thrown away and are burnt, these toxic metals are released into the air polluting it. If you recycle, these materials are reused without polluting the environment, and you also save energy. One recycled cell phone saves enough energy to charge a laptop for about 44 hours. 130 million cell phones are thrown away annually, if recycled they could produce enough energy to power over 24,0 00 homes a year.
If you are interested I found these facts on: https://www.techdump.org/importance-of- … recycling/ .