For me last phone I thought: “I’ve never dropped a phone so the glass or screen protector broke, and I don’t care about scratches. Why bother? It’s much nicer and thinner without.”
Guess what, I dropped it on some gravel week #2 of having it. It still lived a long life, but with a very ugly crack in the bottom right corner. Lesson learned.
Plastic screen protectors suck though, you’re right. Wouldn’t get one that’s not glass.
Being absolutely sure about everything.