In some ways yes phones can get into the way of having a normal conversation with anyone in the real world today, some people today lack basic social skills needed in this world, for example a job interview or giving a speech, but some people rely on their phone so much that they lack that basic social skill to get them started in the real world today. Also people are so obsessed with the phone that they text while driving or talk on the phone which can lead to a very serious car wreck that could kill anyone. People need to start putting their phones down in order to make it in the real world today.
ANSWER: The past simple describes actions that happened in a specific moment in the past. On the other hand, the past continuous describes actions that were in progress in the past for sure.
