I hate needing a phone number to function in life.

Having a phone number means unsolicited phone calls.

Having a phone number means unsolicited text messages, often from political organizations asking for money...so they can continue to spam people. And it's not illegal to spam people if it's for political reasons.

But too many systems demand you have one. Employee management software, government agencies, etc. all demand you have one. So you gotta have one.

I'd rather everyone just email me instead. At least, on my desktop, I can setup inbox filters to get rid of crap I don't want without ever needing to see it.

Means the government can use cell tower triangulation to continuously record your movement patterns. Means data miners can fingerprint you by a device that costs $200 to change. Means if you can't afford a $10/month plan, you literally can't have a phone and you're exiled from jobs, communities, games, churches, etc. Means nobody uses community bulletin boards anymore. Means nobody meets in person to plan things anymore. Nobody talks to their neighbors, nobody talks on the bus. Means you can't show up 10 minutes late to anything, without everyone assuming you ghosted them. Phones make society brittle, expensive, and hideously lonely. I don't want to talk to a magic square in my hand. I want real friends I can see, and hug, and rely on without a phone company's permission to do so.