Lately, I’ve been bothered by how so many movies treat the iPhone (or any phone) as the be-all, end-all device—every key moment, the climax even, just ends up being people yelling into a little slab of glass. It feels empty. The device isn't supporting character or story; it’s replacing them.

That made me think of why I find Star Trek so much more satisfying—especially The Next Generation. In that world, technology isn’t just a prop. It’s an extension of character, and it actually clarifies who a person is.

Take Deanna Troi: she rarely touches computers, not because she’s incapable, but because her work is relational—she’s all about people, empathy, and connection. When she does interact with the computer, it’s only to facilitate that role, not to replace her human touch.

On the next level you’ve got Picard or Riker. They use technology (the communicator badge) to get quick, high-level updates so they can make decisions and command effectively. Sometimes the “big moment” of an episode is a showdown between commanders on massive screens—technology enabling, not overshadowing, human drama.

Then you get figures like Data or Worf. Their use of technology is fundamentally about their approach to the world. Worf is always at the ready, using computers to support a battle stance—standing by the tactical console, alert, never just sitting and tapping away.

And at the far end, there’s Geordi. Technology is his whole idiom—multiple monitors, complex controls, his iconic visor giving him literal new ways to see. For Geordi, technology is almost a sixth sense, and it brings his character alive rather than dulling him.

Even in Star Trek, there’s a place for “iPhones”—when someone’s alone in their quarters, mulling over data or quietly reflecting. The device is a tool, not the story itself.

In contrast, a lot of modern movies treat the iPhone as a substitute for character and drama. Need espionage? Hide an iPhone. Big argument? Yell into an iPhone. Need a quick relationship beat? Get a text. Need a job? Check your iPhone. It’s just too easy. There’s no real thought to what the technology says about the character—or to letting technology serve the story, instead of being the whole story.

That’s what makes Star Trek’s world feel richer, and what’s missing when movies just shout into an iPhone.