> Nowadays, you can no longer exist in society without a phone

If my phone breaks, I will die? :)

Perhaps it's this spreading of this lie that it's impossible to live without a phone that is contributing to the problem

No, but you will likely be inconvenienced to a similar level as losing your house keys, and lose access to important services. You won't immediately die, because most people can survive for quite some time on nothing but questionable river water and a piece of cardboard under a bridge, but there is a difference between survival and existing in society.