Picture the scene. A billionaire is sitting on a yacht when her phone rings. The screen is black-and-white. The keyboard only has the numbers 0-9. No maps, no apps, no internet explorer. There is not even a camera.

More and more wealthy people are finding ways to disconnect. Companies have even started selling luxury "dumbphones" for hundreds of pounds.

Now Eton College, the famous all-boys boarding school, has banned smartphones for new pupils. Instead, they will be given a simple Nokia handset to make calls and send messages. The school is worried about the risks of smartphone "overuse", and their impact on mental and physical health.

Many teenagers worry that not having a smartphone will limit their social lives. But research suggests that shared experiences bring more joy than owning objects. The real privilege is spending time with other people, rather than sitting indoors and staring at a screen.

Is low-tech the ultimate privilege?

Yes! The fact that expensive private schools are banning smartphones shows that they do more harm than good. Lower-income families cannot afford to have low-tech lives.

No! The evidence on the effect of smartphones on young people is unclear. But education apps might help lower income families catch up with their more privileged peers.