That’s my question for you: Can you survive a day without your smartphone? It’s kind of hard to answer. I’m a blogger…a social media woman. I kind of live and breathe social media. My husband jokes that I am touching the internet most of the day (not always a good thing). I admit it- I check my email, my site, my Facebook, my fan page, multiple times per day. It’s kind of what we as a society “do.” Just for the record, mealtime is never technology time- no smartphone at the table in our house. Off limits. Nor in the bedrooms.
So if you had asked me a few months ago, could I go a day without my smartphone, I’d have looked at you and laughed, thinking you’d lost your mind. No. I could not. Are you insane? Remember, I only joined the ranks of people with smartphones this past February. My addiction came on fast. Furious too. Stuck waiting at the doctor’s office? No problem kids, here’s my phone and these are the apps you can choose from. Waiting for an email? Oh, I’ll just check my phone for new emails!! Brett + Smartphone= True Love 4ever.
But then Tropical Storm Irene hit. Three and a half days with no power. Around here, with my provider, no power=no service. No service=useless smartphone. That was a long few days but I made it through.
Then Storm Alfred hit the Northeast. We lost power in the middle of the day and got it back 6 days later- internet was a full day behind. The first few days was like “OMG I have deadlines, the kids are doing something cute I need to share the pics on Facebook…” you know- the IMPORTANT things in life. But after a few days of no power, no tv, no phone, no internet, I slowly kind of realized that I was ok without my appendage (phone). Life was going on around me and I was not worried about a deadline, nor email, nor Facebook, Twitter or anything else. And that was ok. Still is. It kind of put a little bit of perspective on the whole phone thing.
The access is awesome- access to social media, friends, photos, emails…oh! and shopping. Words with Friends. I’m ALWAYS connected. But the access is not so awesome- I’m always connected. I CAN go a day without my smartphone, but do I want to? NO. Will I do it willingly? Um, maybe on holidays? But not with much enthsiasm. But I will limit my phone time. I usually turn the ringer off or way down when I’m home, and I don’t touch it when I’m doing family things, like eating meals, reading books, watching movies. Have to find a balance.
I guess my answer, 538 words later, is that I CAN survive a day without my smartphone, but would far prefer to just survive a day with minimal smartphone. Can and will are two different things!!
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“Disclosure: Compensation was provided by US Cellular via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of U.S. Cellular®”
Cathy Wallace says
I’m not a smart phone user yet, but gave the grandson one for his birthday last month and he’s loving it! You’d think it was the only thing he got for his birthday!
Dance Floor Flops says
Hey there! I was in a similar situation as you when October’s snow storm hit the Northeast…no internet or cable for a few days. When I had absolutely nothing to do, I ended up playing video games on Nintento 64 like a little kid again. It was sorta enjoyable to bring back some of the feelings I had when I was little.
Nevertheless, do you think smartphones are becoming addicting like coffee? At least in these neck of the woods, NYC, people seem to not live a day without drinking it at least once a day. And when people don’t drink it, they start blaming the lack of coffee for their mishaps or shortcomings…odd isn’t it?
The sad thing is, I have yet to get a smartphone…But I’m certain to get one in the next few days. My colleagues have told me that their smartphone has changed their life. I just hope it doesn’t do more harm than good. I don’t even have enough fingers and toes to count for all of the dangerous things I’ve seen people get into because they were distracted by their phones! Be safe and enjoy your wonderful smartphone. I hope it helps me have more fun too!
Denise Taylor says
I could do it as mine is a Windows phone and sucks. I need to get a new one.
Sarah L says
My phone makes phone calls. Period. If you were to give me a smartphone and pay for the monthly fee, I would then be able to answer the questions.
Barb says
I could do it, but it would be rough!!
Sheralle Douglas says
I totally agree with you. Eventhough I haven’t lost power for quite some time, after I had my son I was so exhausted that I didn’t think about using my smartphone. Of course, now that he is older, I have jumped right back on board, but yes I can survive a day without. Although I wouldn’t want to and probably wouldn’t do it voluntarily, the world would not end and I could catch up with things the next day.
Katie D. says
Love this post! Not sure I could go without it for a day though. 🙂
Romina says
Just like you, I joined the ranks of Smartphone users just this year…and boy did things change. I could never leave the house without a cell phone before, and especially now being pregnant, that is an absolute no-no. However, having the power to get connected to the internet anywhere I go since my iPhone arrived is just crazy. You’re right, can and will are two different things. I definitely know I can, but sometimes the will is weak.
Melinda says
I find myself going longer and longer stretches with no tech in my hands and I feel liberated. My blog will be there, my emails will be there, everything is still there. Don’t get me wrong I carry my phone with me everywhere but I can watch a movie without checking it LOL