The sentence you're quoting is an exaggerated expression of a common viewpoint. Not exactly satire. The unexaggerated version would be "Many people, including

The sentence you're quoting is an exaggerated expression of a common viewpoint. Not exactly satire. The unexaggerated version would be "Many people, including children and their parents, feel compelled to buy smartphones in order to fully participate in modern society." Whether they are right to feel that way is a good point to ponder. If all of your friends and family communicate with video calls, do you want to be the one guy with a flip phone? Maybe you do! But not everyone shares that view.