My Resistance to a Smartphone
By - Posted on June 11, 2012
When I whip my phone out of my pocket, people who know me well are usually surprised.
It’s not an iPhone.
It’s not an Android.
It’s not smart, actually.
It’s pretty much a regular phone, the kind your junior high niece is stuck with until she can pay her own data plan.
And you know what? I’m happy with it.
I know what would happen if I found myself suddenly willing to pay for a data plan and with my hot little hands on the phone of my dreams.
Not only would I suddenly have my eyes on a screen more than they already are, I would probably have to figure out some major organization and decision-making (i.e., what goes on the phone vs. what’s on the iPad vs. what I’ll use where vs. when do I need to take my iPad and on and on and on in an endless cycle).
There’s also a certain expectation when you have a smartphone. Suddenly, you’re available. All. The. Time.
I’m guilty of some of that already. I work from home, and I have an iPad that can hook me into wi-fi at any family member’s or good friend’s home. Silly me, I can check email practically all the time already. Do I really want to have one more tether, one more tie to something that really shouldn’t have such an authority over me?
Then there’s the bottom line: tossing my phone to the kids to amuse themselves would cause something like a WWF-level smackdown. My kids are as technology-geeked as I am, and while my oldest is bigger than the other two, they have some weapons of their own.
And, to be honest, I’m not sure I want to share.
That said, I have considered the awesomeness of the picture quality and my lack of a good camera since the death of my old one, the fact that I could finally figure out Ignio, and the general geeky-coolness of it.
But, for now, it’s a “dumb”phone for me.
Do you have a smartphone? What do you love–or hate–about it?
image source: Wikipedia
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Copyright 2012 AUTHOR
so pleased to find I am not the only person in the world too have a dumb phone!
Hey, I knew there had to be more than just myself out there. I also do not have a smartphone currently and I am weighing the benefits of new way/old school to decide if I want to be more connected. Which is probably very odd considering I am only in my mid 30′s.
I have wanted a smartphone for years…but never wanted to say anything because, well, we’re on a budget here and data plans are so pricey! But my husband surprised me with one at Christmas. I’m still learning how to put things all together, because really a smartphone is only as smart as its user. I’ve got a long way to go. Little by little, I am making my smartphone more useful to me.
And I don’t share with the one child in my house who is too young to have his own cell phone.
I have a regular old cell-phone and the poor thing suffers from neglect! I have NO desire to get a smartphone.
Dumb phone here. Though for some reason recently I looked at smart phones. But the data plan is not in my budget. Not by a long shot.
Dumb phone as well because I can’t justify that expense for what I would use the phone for. All phones will be smart phones sooner rather than later though, so hopefully plans will drop in price.
I have a dumbphone, too. There are times when I want to get smart, but overall, I fear being online more than I already am and being less present in the moment. I’m trying to become more mindful, not less, and I fear a smartphone would thwart that goal.
I also teach high school, and I see how addicted some of my students are to their phones. They are literally slaves to them. It’s a little scary, honestly.
I waited four years to get my hands on an iPhone, and I love it. Yes, I probably spend WAY too much time playing around with it, but it also help keep me organized with my calendar and shopping lists and notes all on-hand. Maybe I can’t imagine living without it any more because I don’t have an iPad, too, but I really do love having email and everything with me.
I am working on NOT letting it take over my life, though, and NOT having my face on that screen more than necessary. This, really, is the struggle: to be present to the people around me. Even if it is fun to tweet at my husband from across the living room.