So I'm currently doing a bit of Career training right now at Trade School, and one of things I do for people here for free is fix their personal devices, Simple enough. Just the Usual Trash some people have; "Oh My laptop is Slow, (Has had a previous History Downloading who knows what,), My Mouse doesn't Work, (Plugs it in and works just fine,), Oh, I'm Locked out of My Account, I need it reset, (I make the guy type out his password and it turns out to be a typo somewhere,)." Etc., Etc.. The Usual Software Issues and Other Trouble shooting Issues that I'm used to already.

No what Really gets me is this one perfect example of a client I had. EVERY device on his person had a smashed in screen, and I'm watching him using it so casually as if that was an aesthetic design from the manufacturer. I downright asked him to what exactly went on. His response being "Oh I just Fell." Lord, your things went through a Drying machine within a drying machine. I know they're not fine china, it's clear you must've went out of your way with this, I'm thinking. However, He's just a pure stereotype of the customers I get. I mean, most of every person I've met around this facility has a Caved in Screen with clear Large Black Blotches of dead pixels all over it; and they play it off like nothing.

I mean I've had an Android Touch screen Phone since as early as high school and several years later, even with its very cheap protective case, I have yet to bust so much as a tiny crack on it.

You really got to ask them, "Do you mistreat your Clothes like this? What about your Pet or Child? No? Then why so Haphazard here?" Like I'm not going to play arrogant and play it off like some people don't have money to burn and insurance to cover for it, I get it, accidents happen. However these are devices I've seen some people carry on for YEARS without batting an eye, (usually not coming to me to get it fixed until it is absolutely obliterated, with no more pulse left to find.)

Are People Seriously like this in other places out there? Like how can someone have such a trashed ruin and smile it off as if nothing was wrong?

Well, how else am I supposed to read this?

That's obviously what's going on.

Well one would not be at fault for presuming such a privilege to have, however, in confronting most of these people, even in respects of actually providing a free repair service, the simple fee charge for obtaining the part, (Part of the Client's responsibility to obtain, though I offer to do that for them as well,) I'm often told that they simply can't afford it supposedly. Or at least a new phone anyway, My memory on the specifics is a bit off. However What I do know is a lot of these hold onto their devices gradually over long periods of time in such abhorrent conditions, that is both a mixture of hilarity, pity, shock rolled into one for me. Believe me I am no Guru to stand for perfection, even I can be a little unnecessarily rough with my things, (after all I did pay for them.) But you'd have to be dim to look at some of these devices my clients bring, and actually believe whatever hell hole these things went through was not done on purpose, or at least intent. It just Shocks me Overall.

i am surprised how many people put their 600€ smartphones in their jeans back pockets without even a soft case.
there was a joke about this a while back, something about the new iphone being so thin & flimsy and testing how far you could bend it before it stopped working...

i also regulalry see kids on the playground putting down their phones in the dirt while playing catch etc.
some of them probably their 1st iphones that they begged & implored to get as a christmas present... i think they just don't have a clue how expensive that actually was.

but also the devices themselves seem to be made to look (?) more flimsy - thin - like something that is supposed to be thrown away sooner or later? you know, like a cheap t-shirt from fine jersey that only has that many machine washes in it before getting worn at the seams?
in my workplace we still use a samsung android phone from ~2010 (android 2.2 iirc), and it just feels so much more sturdy than the latest model!

I have a brilliant relative who carried around an iPhone with a smashed screen for what seemed like ages. They weren't short on cash or the ability to go get a new phone, they just didn't care enough to go get another one. It's like different people have their own set of priorities.

Count me as one of them, I use to have a flip phone with a cracked screen from being run over by a f350 dually that still worked for a few more years. I belong to the "if it still works and is usable why get rid of it crowd"

Believe me, as I guy who does hardware repairs for people, it's not "If it still works and is usable why get rid of it crowd," its more of a "My roof has holes, cracks, and on a thin line to collapsing, but since it still provides shade, why fix it?" I don't get it how people can think narrowly enough, (Not to direct this at yourself, I'm speaking generally to the Common Joe,) that there are only two options in this world for the continuing state of their possessions:

*-1- Keep It like a dirt rag and wear it out like there's no tomorrow

*-2- Buy a new one

Searching up the screen part, (or more particularly a "Used" scrapable phone of the exact same model for parts) can cost you no more than some maybe ten or twenty dollars or so, maybe even cheaper if it's coming from an older model. Like seriously, I don't have my leg broken, shattered, and exposing bones and think, "Oh I'll just walk it off," or "Welp, I always wanted a peg leg anyway." There are More options in life. You don't need to waste money on new when you can fix your old. You're Worth More Than THAT.

While I don't disagree that their is a "disposable" culture at the moment where things don's last I also recall I guy I met talking about classic cars and "They'll get bent, eventually." -- nothing does last forever.
So to some extent I agree that people don't treat expensive technology with the care they probably ought I don't blame them at all -- life is lived once and keeping a phone in a case that makes it too bulky for your lifestyle and not using it as much as you could because it might get scratched is just silly. These things are supposed to be used to do things, after all, not preserved to look good.
How does keeping your phone in good working order make you happier than the person with a cracked screen?
By the way I I tend to sneer at people with cracked screens so I'm asking this to myself also.

My roof also has to keep me dry, so in that case I would fix it. As for the phone I was surprised it still worked. Yes I could have fixed it, which I probably would have if I had come across another similar phone that didn't work but the screen was still good, but I was expecting it to die at any moment, which it didn't do. I did eventually replace it with another flip phone given to me by someone upgrading to a smart phone.

I think if it still serves the purpose then just use it.

Of course, different people will have different opinions.

If i'm a cellphone vendor, I would say buy a new one.

If i'm a cellphone technician, I would say set it for a repair and do some touch up to make it looks new.

If I don't have money, I will use it until I have enough dollars to get a new one.

If money is like a river always flowing day and night, then I will just hold on to it; anyway I can replace it in any seconds I wanted to.

People who treat their phones like they are disposable DO treat their clothes, pets, and children like they are disposable too.

I'm sorry, but this is a ridiculous statement.
Phones, clothes and anyhing else like that are tools and tools are to be used to do a job. Personally, if clothes don't stand up to daily wear I consider them pointless rubbish and dispose of them never to buy that brand again (my Jack Wolfskin jacket will go that way when it, inevitably, develops a leak in the inferior GoreTex mimic they now use).
If I can't use my phone daily for communication then, yes, it's disposable too.
Possesions are not important.

Things that are alive are not disposable.

Exactly my point about how silly your post was.
I deliberately did not mention that living creatures are not tools because for you to even suggest that mistreating tools was even remotely the same as mistreating living creatures was ridiculous.

I'd be pissed if I was a phone hardware repair person everyday. They are small and hard to fix for these ham hands.Batteries are now hard to change and a pain the butt. Motorcycles are about as small as I go.

As far as people not caring? I walk on and forgetta about it. As long as I don't have to put up with them. You will mellow out with age.

At least you got a good plan learning a trade. Drink your favorite beverage and be happy about that.

Phones are designed to break easy. Unless you spend money on a hard case and shatter proof screen. Something I do , because of my active life style. So be glad there are idiots that will keep a roof over
your head on what ever trade you take.

I used to get some real cartoon characters . Motorcycle owners. Before I retired . Getting themselves killed/maimed was a option when one did care what broke on their motorcycle. Low air pressure on a tire, a loose bolt, sometimes required a medivac.