How did telephone technology change lives?

Originally, the invention of the telephone improved people's lives. In 1876, when the telephone was introduced by Alexander Graham Bell, it allowed expeditious communication between people at a long distance. Prior to the invention of the telephone, people relied on mail, which took weeks, months, and sometimes years to deliver. The telephone helped businesses thrive and permitted rapid communication in emergency situations. The telephone originally benefited people's lives as we progressed to an industrial nation.
However, as telephone technology evolved, it has ushered in a host of problems in people's lives. Sadly, the age groups that are affected the most are teenagers and young adults. First of all, telephone technology has reduced the need to develop writing skills. The popularity of texting has made it less important to learn proper sentence structure, semantics, and punctuation. Rarely do you witness a teenager today who is willing to write in cursive or understands its importance. In addition, it's possible that the smartphones we use today can affect us physically, especially because we spend so much time around them.
Moreover, the advancement of telephone technology has established an obsession among people today that is extremely alarming. Rarely do you see a person without their smartphone held tightly in their hands. It is rare to have a conversation without being interrupted by people's incessant need to check their phones. People have developed a preoccupation with their smartphones that sometimes leads to automobile accidents and can deter students from their studies. It is also impacting our educational system. Today, students can take pictures of assignments and tests and send them to other students. There are privacy concerns with smartphones, too, as well as the detrimental availability of social media platforms 24 hours a day. It is the current generation that is affected the most, and it is frightening to consider how it will change people's lives a decade from now.
https://www.medicaldaily.com/5-reasons-why-cellphones-are-bad-your-health-247624

Telephone technology was very important.  First, outside of diplomatic cables and overseas communication, it made telegraph operators obsolete.  Soon, the telephone would replace even this.  The telephone allowed for instantaneous communication, and it created jobs for people who could install phones and run switchboards.  People could soon call in an order—this sped up business transactions.  Companies soon realized that they could sell to consumers directly by providing their phone number and dedicating a person at the company to taking customer orders.  This was a boon to the mail-order industry as people could see the catalog and then call in an order.  Instant communication also helped with emergency services, as people could get fire and police help faster.  Police soon realized that they could tap phones of potential suspects; this would lead to legal questions about what constituted illegal searches.