My SMART phone is making me dumb!

When the iPhone first came out I thought to myself, I don’t really need that. I just need a mobile phone to make calls from, to SMS on and to take photos and shoot videos on. So I watched on as more and more of my close friends and family got these phones and they seemed to be on them non stop! I shock my head at them and thought my goodness this is crazy! Life is happening around them but they are not noticing as they are fixated on their phones!

Then all of sudden I needed a new phone.

My side note/rant is how annoying is it that these days that technology is made

to only have a short life-span so we are forced to upgrade and get the latest

gadget as to repair the existing or replace batteries etc is so expensive!

So I was faced with a decision. Did I get a SMART phone (the pretty white iPhones had just been released) or just get a basic phone? My choice was made and I went with the iPhone, vowing to myself that I would not turn into one of those people with my phone on me at all times, obsessed with things I didn’t need to be, at times that I didn’t need to be.

So how am I going with that you ask?

I am a failure:(

With a SMART phone you can buy and down load applications (apps) onto phone and they are there to aid you as you go about your daily life!

Some of my well used apps are:

• Facebook – most of my Facebook time now is done on my iPhone. You can’t do everything that you can on a computer but you can do most things
• weather zone – so we can check the weather whilst preparing for the day
• hey tell – this app allows you to send voice messages to others and saves you from having to text
• NAB – I can do my banking from my phone
• eBay – If I am watching some items on eBay it will remind me that the auction will be ending soon
• Safari – The search engine I use for the internet
• Flash Light – I use my phone as a torch at night when I need to go in and check on my kids
• Find my iPhone – I often misplace my phone and Brett is able to see on his phone where mine is and show me or even send an alarm that will activate helping me to find my phone. It can even remotely lock the phone and put a pin number on it. Best app around I think:) If only they had an app to find my keys:) or do they?
• WordPress – edit, view or read blogs (including this one)
• Instagram – taking or editing my photos with this app is fun
• maps – I use this like a GPS often when I travelling somewhere new
• notes – I record my random thoughts, ideas and info on these pages

This isn’t all the apps that I have on my phone but some of the ones that I have found useful and/or I frequently use. I really don’t go hunting for these but I find new apps through friend’s recommendations and some blogs that I read etc. We also are lucky enough to have an iPad so there are some apps that I will only put on that as the SMART phone screen is too small etc. I haven’t even mentioned the ones that we have for the kids. These I might save for another post!

Generally speaking apps are designed to make my life easier, what I have found is that my life with my iPhone has become more complicated, as I become dependant and reliant on my SMART phone. I reach for the phone for everything; to solve problems, manage me, entertain me and keep me informed. I know I have a problem. I realise I am on my phone too much, not calling people but rather doing everything but! I don’t want to be a person with my phone on me at all times. With my head down as life is flashing me by.

I have had some wake up moments for me recently on this issue:

1. I attended a parents information night at kinder and the speakers were a speech therapist and an occupational therapist. During their sharing they really touched on how much our kids love and adore us. As previously mentioned (here) when our kids play they mimic us their parents. They do this because they love us and we are their world. We were challenged to be in their world more and more! To put down our phones, computers and turn off the TV and give our kids our undivided attention as we play with them. I am sad to say that most of the room were convicted by this as we all realised that we were guilty of not doing this enough.
2. Brett and I both want technology to be used well in our family. Brett has been conscious lately of us using our phones etc around the kids too much. We limit their exposure to TV and their use of the iPad etc but how are we modelling this to them. It will only be a matter of time until in their negotiating for more technology time that they will mention our usage. So Brett has a good point pushing for us to be more conscious of the way and manner in which we use our technology.
3. Upon returning home from a play date in the park recently, I realised that I had left my phone at the park! We were luckily able to use my phone locator app and see it was still at the park, allocate it a pin and I was able to quickly drive there and rescue it. I was frantic about this because I could lose my expensive phone, I would lose precious photos and videos of the kids, notes that I had taken and well I panicked about how different my life would be if it were stolen! Uhuh!!!! Alarm bells hey – it’s just a phone!!!!!! (luckily enough we were reunited).
4. I have recently become angry at my phone. I have realised that I am expecting so much from my SMART phone and it is failing to meet my expectations! I am frustrated that some of the apps I use don’t do everything that the program can do when I use it on the computer. Like when I link my new post from here to Facebook sometimes it only shows up on my news feed and not on others! Hello relax! You are using a phone and not a computer! Yes an iPhone functions like a computer but at the end of the day it is a smaller version that does have its limitations.

I am sad to say that I am addicted to my SMART phone. It has out-smarted me and attracted me with its tantalising apps, ease of use and smooth design. My intelligence has dropped as I no longer need to remember things, plan ahead as much and entertain myself. Yes, my phone has won for now but I am determined to claim back my brain, my time and cut my dependence on a device!!! I am working on my strategy as you read this and will give you updates on what I am doing and how it is going!

Surely I am not alone here. Are you addicted to your SMART phone? If any of this has prompted you to make changes as to how you use your SMART phone let me know so we can encourage each other. Also let me know what you do to limit technology usage in your house.

Em xx