The evolution of mobiles phones can be used as evidence of this.  Pagers were surpassed by mobile phones, which offered the benefit of a two-way call. In the 2000s, SMS messaging rose to prominence, allowing users to exchange non-urgent written messages when a phone call was either unnecessary or inconvenient.  As mobile phones became more developed, additional technology became incorporated into the devices, from cameras to internet access.  In today’s smartphone era, SMS messaging is taken for granted to the point of seeming archaic, with video calling, free instant messaging applications and social media becoming the communication methods of choice for many.  Internet access is now the norm and is relied on for on-the-go activities, such as finding directions to a restaurant and streaming music from a library of 30 million songs.  Each iteration of the mobile phone has made what was once novel essential, and with technology advancing at an exponential rate, the novel is becoming essential quicker and quicker.

It is projected that by 2022, there will be 53.96 million smartphone users in the UK.  Smartphones are symptomatic of a world where people have become reliant on having access to reams of information, data and entertainment in the palms of their hands, which in turn has informed a change in consumer habits.