Is the smart phone ham radios death knell?
This is actually a good question. I operate much less now than I did before the Internet got faster sometime in the 90's. With my latest smart phone, my time on the air has lessened even more. There are more distractions to take me away from ham radio.
I have Facebook and all the other apps, and I can surf the net on my phone, or watch Netflix, HBO, and Amazon Prime. I can buy things online. I can listen to Howard Stern or YouTube.
Are these alternatives killing ham radio? I don't know, but I do think it's becoming a 'quaint an old fashioned hobby' like stamp collecting in the minds of most kids. It's something grandpa does in the basement with his nerdy radio friends and their strange and secret language. Much less sexy than Call of Duty, Tumblr, Reddit, and many other things that weren't even available just 10 years ago.
Of course, the Prepper movement and the Orange Vest guys might be keeping the license numbers up, but what about the art and science of radio, design, and the art of conversation? Interesting questions to ponder, and I'm sure the ARRL marketing department's asking the same kinds of questions.
Tom