I have resisted getting a smartphone for a long time. I know that I’m in the minority of my generation, but I’ve always considered time away from my computer to be a welcome respite from the demands of my nagging, overloaded e-mail inbox(es). My doesn’t-do-anything-but-call-and-text cell phone has served me very well for a number of years.
Enter: the BlackBerry. (I’d take a picture of it for you, but the camera is inside the device. Not sure how that would work. It looks a lot like this one.) My employer recently gave me a company-issued BlackBerry so that I could monitor and respond to urgent communication and PR situations. Unfortunately our director of corporate communications is out on medical leave for a while, so I recognize the business need for a backup emergency contact, but that doesn’t make me any happier about my new toy.
I’ve had good reason to resist jumping on the smartphone bandwagon. In her study on technology, sociology professor Noelle Chesley found that frequent computer, Internet and cell phone use leads to feelings of increased work load and an accelerated pace of life. As the wise man Ferris Bueller taught us, life moved pretty fast way back in 1986, before we were all weighed down with mobile devices. Why would I want to make my life move even faster still?
Technology consultant Dr. Sam Ladner discovered through her study of interactive agency workers that devices like BlackBerries have created a “new norm of continuous availability” and the “expectation of hyper-responsivity to work. . . . Mobile technologies complicate the ability of workers to act as autonomous selves in their private lives.” (Cue the Carrie Bradshaw voiceover) I couldn’t help but wonder: Between work, school, and personal obligations, wasn’t my life complicated enough without technology invading every single moment of my private existence?
A friend of mine once referred to her BlackBerry as a wireless dog leash. Sometimes the flashing red light on the front of my BlackBerry, which indicates that I have a new message in my inbox, feels like something tugging on my neck, pulling me away from whatever else I’m engaged in.
Andrew Flanagin, Katy Pearce, and Beverly Bondad-Brown examined the dangers of communication technology use, including the downside of technology distractions. They cited findings that:
- 70 percent of all e-mails are answered with 6 seconds
- 81 percent of people have their e-mail open at all times during the workday
- 55 percent of people open new messages immediately, regardless of what they are working on
- People lose as much as 20 percent of their workday dealing with distractions like incoming e-mail
I practice a number of these unproductive habits too (being an overachiever by nature, my tendency is to want to respond to e-mail as quickly as possible), but I certainly can’t afford to lose one-fifth of my worktime to disruptive technology distractions. Here are some helpful tips (some of which are adapted from the work of Pervin Shaikh) for not letting your mobile device run your life:
- Carve out a set amount of time for checking and responding to e-mail. Be sure to distinguish what’s urgent from what’s important.
- Resist the urge to respond to e-mails immediately on your personal time unless there is a real emergency.
- Don’t check your e-mail right before you go to sleep, especially on the weekend. This could interfere with your ability to achieve restful sleep.
- Take some time each day away from your mobile device, whether that means turning it off for a little while or leaving it in the other room while you spend time with family and friends.
- And seriously, take a break from texting and e-mail while driving! It’s common sense, but it might just save a life. And that’s way more important than anything you might find in your inbox.
Smartphone users: How do you balance the expectation of an immediate response with your need for time away from technology?
(Special thanks to Dr. Kris Markman of the University of Memphis communications department for introducing me to the three studies referenced above.)
I Am An Overachiever 
Thank you for the tips, I have avoided the smartphone world for a long time as well and just got my iphone4 last week. I was very hesitant to begin this lifestyle, but I don’t think it is as bad as I expected. With tips like yours and a little bit of self control life should go on as normal . 🙂
Thanks for reading and commenting! Like so many things in life, I think it’s all about moderation. Good luck with the new iphone!
First might i say, Welcome to the jungle my friend, where the birds never stop chirping, there are pratfalls around every corner, and if you tune any of the distractions out for a moment a lion might eat you whole!
I was an early adapter to smart-phones, and a big advocate of their utility and potential, but these days i wish i hadn’t been. Not like i had a choice mind you, but maybe i could have slowed the progression… I agree with your friend, it’s an electronic leash! If i don’t answer an e-mail right away I might lose a job. I can’t speak for the rest of the world, as the type of work i do is on an “on demand” basis (and if not me, than the other first responded to the email will get the job), but i both see the change that the tech has had on the world, and i also dislike it.
Alas there is simply no going back… 😦
Our minds are being invaded by alien electronic and media. Look what has happened across North Africa and the Middle East. Few of us know what we really want or need. Once is was beautiful to sit on a hilltop and just watch the sea and the coming of spring. Now, all we watch is a bloody inhuman screen.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I hope many people think as you and I do on this subject. i think there are more cons than pros to alot of this technology. I just want my normal life back. That would be so nice. 🙂
I turn off dings and noises for anything except the phone calls. If you are supposed to be aware of urgent emails though, this may not work out…My time away from the office is meant for the life portion of the work/life balance…If it is so urgent that I must be contacted, they can call me. But I won’t alert myself of the potential email contact with annoying dings, buzzes and bleeps!
I feel an obligation to respond right away, but it’s rarely urgent that I do. Thanks for the tips!
Great post. I, too, avoided smart phones for years and was recently, begrudgingly given one. I’ll frame my aggravation not even with the increased responsiveness to communications received through it, but just the general disconnection with the world outside of that phone in order to be entertained with whatever the phone has available, be it texts, email, Facebook, and even just games. Admittedly, these are addictive. But likewise, as someone who is parked in front of a computer all day at work, it’s an easy reminder to avoid the habits of over-indulgence.
my verizon new every 2 promotion is coming next month…im favoriting this post so i read it again and again in the hopes ill avoid, yet again, getting a smart phone!
I’ve resisted the switch to the smart phone as well. Too many options and things to distract me. All I need is the ability to call and text. My dad however is in love with smartphones. He’s been a blackberry boy for awhile and is about to switch to the iPhone. We call his phone Myrtle… his second wife.
Good post. Congrats on FP
I am still using a flip phone I’ve had for 5 years. I rarely give out my cell phone number and even more rarely text someone. I am, however, a slave to my email. I read everything the instant it pops up on my computer screen and try to respond immediately. It makes me feel organized and in control to have an empty inbox. However, I get your point about how much time is wasted by the interrruptions. I am trying to train myself to only check email at a few intervals during the day. I hope to avoid smartphones for a while longer.
Susan,
You choose the way you want to live. You seem to want to live a hectic life, answering every email just as soon as you get it. You are not giving the creative part of your brain, time to work like that, exhausting every seed long before it can germinate.
It’s a good post, but I disagree. I think smartphones help us a lot nowadays and the may stress you if they controll you. Don’t let that happen. We’re here to control techonology, not to let technology control us.
Or in other (better) words, technology is here to make our life easier, therefore more relaxed, not harder and, as you say, shorter.
Have a good day, nice post.
Definitely no texting while driving, but come on: I MUST see what a new message says the very SECOND I receive it! It’s how I roll!
😉
Wow, a lot of quite scary stats! I don’t have a smartphone (don’t need one for work) and at times I am absolutely grateful that I don’t have to be attached to my inbox… We all need a break sometimes.
[…] perusing Freshly Pressed this morning, I came across this blog post. Although I’m hesitant to post two entries in a row on technology, I tend to do stuff when […]
I have all of those bad e-mail habits listed. And you know what…it has never occurred to me to exit out of my e-mail for part of the day. Partially because I know my employer expects me to be in constant contact via e-mail. But maybe I should just tell everyone that I won’t be answering e-mails between x and y hours. I’d bet I would get a lot more done.
On the Blackberry bit…my best friend has one and she is CONSTANTLY using it in some way. I’m like you. I have a not smart phone. (But don’t call it dumb — that will hurt it’s feelings.)
Crystal
Don’t have a smart phone. Only calls I get on the cell phone are junk calls so I don’t use that either.
I read an article recently about a gal who had her smart phone remotely “wiped” by her company’s IT dept. It was an accident, but it happened because she used this personal phone on occasion for business calls and the company had her phone# AND had a policy/rule that said they could erase an employee’s phone at any time for “security reasons”.
Of course your phone is a company phone. So make sure you don’t store anything on it that you would not want to lose or that you don’t want your bosses to see.
I love that comment up above…about “welcome to the jungle, where the birds never stop chirping.” It is true. Once you go smart phone, you never go back. When I go through the bills each month I have to grimace… with the house phone, smart phone, internet…its ridiculous. But, I guess…that is the way it is!
Nay, Nay and Nay, Compulsive Writer. That is the way you choose it to be. Just as you can choose to be happy, or grumpy. You can only have control of just one thing in your life, and that it your own mind.
I wrote a post recently on my blog about being overstimulated in the 21st century. I’ve had a BB for a few years and have noticed more recently how “addicting” it can be. I am available to most people 24/7 (with the exception of no cell service at home). I love my BB, but I recommend a national “no cell phone” day one per month to give us all a break…
Great post. Now I’m on to research phones for my upgrade, lol.
Meredith
http://www.thissideofthecreek.wordpress.com
Amara, allow me to thank you for stopping by my blog also. And thanks for giving me the idea kernel to present my own personal feelings on this subject.
I found your post here: http://wordpress.com/#fresh
Hope that takes you to it. I look forward to reading more of your writings.
Wow, look at all these great comments! Great post, Amara, love how you are citing actual research here, too – while anecdotes are great, it’s interesting to see what studies have found about the broader trends.
For me, I check my email three times a day and restrict myself to spending no more than a half hour with it each time. I occasionally will take a quick skim over it more frequently than that looking for emergency stuff, but I try not to – if people really need something asap, I figure they will text or call me. I actually only really use email on my smartphone when I’m traveling or if I’m waiting in a line or something.
That said, though, I do think people that have chosen career fields in information-related fields have, to a certain extent, obligations that others don’t. If you are a working journalist or a PR pro, it’s just part of the job description to be alert to breaking developments. Even before smartphones, reporters were all too familiar with being called away from family events to go report breaking news, and as much as it sucked, it was just part of the job description. Doesn’t mean you should ever let it run your life, but I think that to a certain extent it’s just one of the things we deal with for better or worse.
Enjoyed your piece! However, as new owner of a smartphone, which comes with an on/off button, I am thrilled with its amazing simplicity.
This, from The Onion, you might enjoy!
Thanks, and congrats on the FP!
http://www.theonion.com/articles/area-dad-just-wants-computer-with-the-basics,19195/
My friend vowed never to get a smart phone until she got her hands on one of the androids one day. From then on, her life was never the same lol
check your links.
Did you find a link on the site that doesn’t work? If so, please let me know which one and I’ll get on it ASAP. Thanks for stopping by!
Amara you of course know I have long scorned those who did not embrace technology. Maybe I am an odditity (ok I am) but I don’t have a big challenge balancing my smartphone. In fact w/out it and when I received my first Blackberry about 5 years ago I think my balance was better.
By managing the messages that need attention when and where I want I don’t feel over whelmed when I come in to work each morning and try to play catch up all day. I think I am able to leave more on time because I know if i NEED to answer a message I can. I eliminate the quick emails that require yes/no answers etc in the Dr’s office. I then turn my attention to other pressing needs later.
I do find text addicts annoying and who can’t say no to constant responding while we talk. The ability to access the internet and find directions and answers on the fly I also like.
As with any other addiction it starts with the ability to find control. I do wonder if we will ever see a backlash and people will say enough. Technology want go back but hopefully more people can find balance.
I am glad you have finally joined us resistance is futile :-).
Great tips! Perhaps all this interactivity is making all of us less productive. So some harsh rules and discipline is in order. Also, wondering if we’ll ever experience a technology backlash?
I haven’t gone down the smart phone road. I don’t even use my “dumb phone” much. My laptop on the other hand…
My smart phone is the devil.
I don’t have a smartphone, but I’m ultra-guilty of checking my e-mail and facebook right before bed.
Great tips! This society is becoming so tech based that we are given a false sense of connection to each other and the world. In the end though the joke is one us…we are actually isolating ourselves more than any other generation. The concept of community is almost completely gone!
It’s all about balance and what you want your life to be about. Do you want impersonal relationships or personal relationships. Face to face communication is essential for personal relationships.
Of all the technology out there that I keep up to date on, cell phones is not one of them. I have a cheap-o, prepay T-Mobile phone service. I don’t even use 1000 minutes a year! You’ve got a good point in your post.
Preach it! We must be drinking from the same water hole of rational thought process on this quickly evolving tech world while blogging this weekend. Can you believe Fisher Price has a devise you can put an iPhone/iTouch in so your toddler can join the party of “feelings of increased work load and an accelerated pace of life.” Great Post!
As a Realtor I try to always answer my clients questions as soon as they come in….but I have learned to also have family time without it. Great site.
Hey, Amara…
Just say “no!” To crack! (Berry)
Seriously, I think anyone with half a brain knows when to take a break, whether from work, or blogging or Tweeting… you name it. Though your article is interesting, it doesn’t bring forth any new revelation pertaining to societal dependance on technology. Ever since the advent of the telegraph, the (perceived) speed of life has been increasing with each new “G”.
I also believe that certain people can handle resposibility better than others, and for those folks (who WANT to achieve) technology is their friend.
Finding time to be with one’s family is great advice. Finding time to unwind is great advice. But much like the crackhead, many won’t stop until they hit rock bottom. So I say… “come on, nervous breakdown! I need vacation from my Android!”
Thanks. I have seriously thought about getting a smart phone. Almost all of my friends & colleges have one. It almost doesn’t seem like it is necessary to me. I am in front of a computer a good 10-12 hours of the day already. I can’t really see a use for it except to take pictures and download cool apps and games.
I’ve heard the Blackberry refereed to as the “Crackberry”. So I really like that phrase “wireless dog leash.” LOVE IT!
I have an iPhone and I don’t “push” my email, or facebook or twitter feed so I’m not constantly nagged by the “you have an email” or “twitter mention” or “face book comment” numeral that is at the corner.
Thankfully I work in health care and the only thing I really have to deal with on my phone is the seemingly incessant texts from my bosses asking me if I want to work an extra shift.
I actually just got rid of my smart phone because I disliked being tethered to everything so much.
My husband and I started a business last April and I got a Blackberry, my first “smartphone”, so I could be on top of business concerns at all times. I became obsessed with checking it pretty quickly. I am in the shower, hear it emit one of it’s little chimes and I am instantly itching to see what it is. (What does Amazon have on offer now? I must now!)
Just the other day, one of the first warmish Spring days in ages, I took a long walk through the park, formerly one of my favorite zen activities– wandering and thinking. I found myself completely unable to focus. I couldn’t relax- my mind was going a million miles a minute- obligations and responsibilities swirling around- I felt twitchy and bored. I COMPLETELY blame this mind change on my freaking Blackberry. I am not only unable to resist the pull of the thing, but I can no longer focus on just one thing.
Thanks for the post. Lots to think about.
I love my Smartphone, but I don’t text or check my email from it very often at all. I play games when I’m bored and listen to music. It’s more a fun toy for me than anything else. 🙂
We refer to our “WorkBerries” as our leashes as well. My situation has become so dire that I have to literally stop charging mine after Thursday night so that it’s dead by the end of the day on Friday. No charger at home means no access for me… and it’s the only way I stay away from it on weekends. Sad, sad state of affairs. How long until even the techies begin to rebel against the constant connectivity?
Congrats on beging FP’ed today!
Good post. Thanks for sharing. I am so handicapped w/o my iphone4. 😦 After having realized this a couple weeks ago, I have been trying to use my phone “well” and not for random distractions. 🙂
I have started using my phone in a way such that it helps me accomplish more things, stay on top of my tasks and help me with better management of my time.
I have recently moved to Nunavut in the Arctic. While Blackberries and other smartphones do exist up here, internet and wireless connectivity are not so fantastic. Therefore most people do not use anything other than a basic cell phone. It’s refreshing though, to go to a staff meeting and find that people are actually paying attention to you rather than typing away on their smartphones and laptops answering emails. Congrats on being FP’ed!
I can’t live without my iPhone. It makes my life easier and, (most importantly), more fun. I listen to music and dance with my family most days using my phone. When we do a long journey in the car the kids watch DVDs and play games on it. I’ve self published on iBooks so I can monitor how it’s doing every minute of the day if I need to (the free ebook is Beach Potato if you’re interested – did I say it’s FREE?!?) I make videos of the family and friends and my life in the UK, which I can send to my sister and family who live in New Zealand. The camera has captured the most amazing pictures of our life, which I am assured by my husband (a professional photographer) is ‘right up there’… and the Application Store has given me endless tools to play with. It’s a bottomless pit of entertainment, a daily essential tool and (if you can be bothered) can help you do boring work stuff at quiet times too. So my advice to anyone is don’t dread or avoid the technology… embrace it. You won’t regret it! http://beachbabble.wordpress.com
Wow – I can totally relate. My cell phone contract ended last year and I haven’t replaced my old text-and-call phone yet. I am in no haste either. To be honest, I love the time I have for myself without these distractions. I hardly even go for a day without checking my emails but if I am too tired to, that feeling of resistance, though it may sound silly, brings a satisfactory feeling. 🙂
A amazingly I have so far kept myself off the smart phones, although I will admit if I had the money I would have an i-phone already. great suggestions for the overworking!
This was a great post! With your permission, I might reblog! I spent yesterday technology free (my only day off this week) and my boss and my parents thought I was in the hospital or something. Amazing how much time we spend staring at work.
Thanks Kim! You are welcome to repost this, as long as you give proper attribution and link back here. Enjoy your technology-free time!
Thanks for the tips on managing emails. My whole job could be emails if I let it! 🙂
Smart Phones, to me, is essential! Especially, if your a business person! Me, I’m hoping to get the Blackberry Torch pretty soon. But, I’m a techie guy so it doesn’t hurt me. Look at all the possibilities! Web, text, call everything except the kitchen sink. I don’t know why, but I just love that type of stuff!
i just like that picture at the top 🙂
I hope to get an Android soon, I am stuck in iPhone jail. Thank you 2 year contract christmas 2012.
http://www.saintarmands.com – visit and we’ll have an ice cream
This is brilliant. I have been trying to reduce the amount of time I spend on my cell reading emails. I use it as a more convenient way to bring everythign together into one place, so I don’t have to log onto the computer. But, I do always feel that drag of that dreaded flashing light on the phone!
A paradigm shift of how we use our mobile technology is in bad need.
I gave into the smart phone about a year ago, and I have to admit…I love it. I know I’m on it way too much, but I love the convenience of having my e-mail right there. But I agree with you about having a life without your smart phone for a few hours each day. Great idea!
I’m one of the few kids my age without a cell phone by choice… because you can’t say, “Sorry I didn’t answer I wasn’t at home…” or anything. I know for a fact that I’ve been looked over for jobs because of not having one.
These technological advances are creating a completely different outlook to the workforce, suddenly bosses are trolling workers status updates or comments or blogs and people have gotten fired for it.
I understand your hesitance to enter into that world. Because a smart phone does not grant you the freedom of convenience but rather enslaves you to the beck and call.
No longer is a person not held responsible for their online use. No longer able to say “I’m busy” and work on something productive rather than texting.
It’s a sick world.
Great tips, good research and good luck
-Aspiringtobesomeone
I have yet to own a smartphone. I just own a regular samsung mobile. If I do go down that path, it is probably when the latest and most developed model can be purchased for the lowest price. I don’t really go in for upgrading constantly – it’s environmentally unfriendly.
I’m still resisting the call of the smartphone and have a talk&text phone. Now that there’s so much to do, shop, and read on-line the call is getting louder. It would be cool to have my on-line recipes at my fingertips while shopping for groceries, maybe I wouldn’t forget the caraway seeds for the third time! Kudos for FP 🙂
I am sad to say that I am one of those people that is constantly connected, whether it is my iPhone, Facebook, or Internet. I am currently doing a one-week “Facebook Fast” to see what it feels like to have interpersonal relationships outside of the Facebook world, and let me tell you it is difficult!
I have trouble cutting myself off from the outside world and placing boundaries on when I can or cannot answer emails, texts, or phone calls. Hopefully, I can take some of the advice you mentioned and take a break!
Great post, and congrats on getting FP 🙂
Great post, Amara! I myself have a dumb phone from 2003. It makes and takes calls occasionally (not on its own; that would make it a REALLY smartphone). I actually wouldn’t mind having a smartphone, but it makes me think of The Devil Wears Prada. The stuff of nightmares! Though I luckily don’t have that kind of boss or work situation, even if I had a smartphone. Good luck with yours!
Congrats on being Freshly Pressed (talk about overwhelming! In a good way, though).
Great post! As a smartphone user (Android) from last year, I have to agree with a lot of the points made in your blog. However, I think it’s part of a bigger issue in this hyper-connected, social world we have created. We have started to spend more time interacting with our devices, and spend less time with what used to be ordinary hobbies in which one would let the creative juices flow, or allow one to enjoy the company of other humans without the use of devices. As is still the case today, the majority of human interaction is through body language and facial expressions, with sound and smell coming a close second. The advent of the phone removed the visual and olfactory cues, and now the likes of Facebook et al. removes even that. We live in a world where text rules whether it be presented in email, comments, tweets or blogs and we expect one another to respond as quickly as we would if we were talking face to face. And of course, there are the addictive qualities of the internet.
Perhaps there should be a worldwide non-technology week where all devices are turned off, people actually visit each other, and get back to reality.
[…] good post here about how our reliance on smartphone devices is starting to change our behaviours and perspective on […]
You mean I am not the only one that feels this way?? Wow.
I recently left a job where I felt guilty because I turned my cell off at night. I also at one point fell into the trap of dropping everything and answering emails right away, only to not have any response from the sendee for days on end.
I came to the conclusion that, (in my job at least), there is no such thing as an urgent email. If you want an anser right away, call me. We can discuss the issue, instead of these long, (sometimes days long), converstions that basically run the…how much? really? can we do anything to reduce the price? when can you be here? how do I make payment. A two minute conversation over the phone, a painfully long exercise on email, particularly when in and out of calls and driving most of the day.
Cheers
You think you can do without one until you get one and then you realize you can’t live without it. And then your conversations start with….What’s your favorite app?
Great post. I purchased an Android smart phone because I like to “tinker.” Technology intrigues me, but I must admit that at one time or another I’ve fallen prey to wanting the most recent device out of want not out of need. I agree with the one of the other commenters, balance is needed. Instead of holding out for that dual-core Tegra processor, the snapdragon will do. instead of waiting for the newest and greatest maybe the best thing is to learn to be content and use tech in a more modest and balanced way…maybe.
Great post, particularly the stats. I, too, have an electronic tether. For me, it started as a conscious decision to be unavailable during certain times – For instance, not answering work emails after 7PM. Now, being able to let my Blackberry sit untouched over the weekend has become a point of personal pride. My boss has my personal cell phone number. If it’s a real crisis, he knows how to find me in a hurry. Everything else can pretty much wait until normal business hours.
-SP
Very good article. Besides the topic, which I like and is completely true. I now see what is a very good post. I have long ways to go to get as good as you.
This is a very well thought out article. Those stats on the amount of time people waste opening emails…priceless! I’ve felt like this is the case, but no one else I talked to felt the same way.
Scary how much technology defines our lives.
Hi – It’s good that someone is still questioning our use of technology. We have a rule that no one turns on the computer on the weekend. It’s such a relief. Also, I notice it takes about half of Saturday before I stop thinking about all the things I could be doing online! All that stuff is addictive.
x Pollyanna
Thanks for this article. I normally use my smartphone as a modem (I study online). But when I am not on the computer, for times I tend to go mobile, and answer texts messages fast as I can… bad for me.
Great article and tips!!
I have avoided the smart phone bandwagon as well (atleast, so far!). Your post is really an eye-opener. And people wonder how time flies 😉
Congratulations on being Freshly Pressed.
I’m a slave to my iPhone and have a hard time NOT checking my emails. Thanks for the reminder. I’m going to use your tips to help me control my use. Congrats on being freshly pressed!
Smart Phone? Really now whats so smart about it? you give permission to let the carrier and their 3rd parties (which by the way can be more than one can be more than 20 ect.) Who are they? but you give them permission to invade your privacy, permission to get your personal contacts, user id’s etc and most say help us “improve”! what a joke ok improve on legally taking from you without your knowledge! ever read the privacy on top of privacy policies contained in hidden files on one of those so called smart phones. well I guess we are the in the need for speed and greed and dont care of anything else or believe it wont really happen to me. or we will have to pay to get more protection and get more people monitoring our info. that keeps it more secure! I just see that it means more eyes available to intrude on you! I think everything has gone WAY to far. and it all comes down to greed i think and what a shame! shame on us all for not taking the time to think of the consequences or being so blind to the media and sales pitch or just being plain selfish and not caring. Have Mercy on us all. No i don’t use one and no I don’t really communicate via email and this is the first blog Ive read! I like to be abreast I am raising a child, but I like the BASIC life so much better.
Congrats on getting Freshly Pressed. Excellent Post!! You have given scientific proof to my years of technological angst and workplace suspicions. It was so bad that when I was laid off I actually went out and got a Blackberry lol. After years of chafing against my leash – good lord. Reclaim your time (where possible)!
I am an admitted Crackberry Addict and a proud but disgruntled Technophile. It takes work to balance real life with technology and not be taken over by the wave…
I totally identify! I have finally gotten to the point of missing my time away from work so much that I will ignore the phone, or even leave it when I go somewhere. The sad thing is, sometimes I feel bad about it. This is not good.
Like you, I resisted getting ingrained in the data plan smart phone for some time. In fact, I have a Blackberry that I used only for phone and texting for about a year before adding the data plan. All because I didn’t want the burden of my e-mail all the time. But I admit now that I have it, I actually feel better about always being able to know what’s going on and what e-mails are coming in. Before, I’d always be waiting to get to a computer to check my e-mail. I actually feel calmer now. That’s probably a bad thing, huh?
I love this blog. Yes, it does feel like life is accelerated having a smart phone. I like your tips a lot. Thanks for writing!
Great post! And I really like how you write.
I’m still one of those with a mobile phone only for calls and texts. But I do keep it every day with me and instantly answer texts.
A great post. I recently received a Blackberry for work and i’m a slave to it. Even on nights and weekends when i’m supposed to be off, i find myself constantly checking my e/mails. I have vowed to turn it off when at home, but no such luck yet. I thought it was bad when we all got on the mobile phone bandwagon and were contactable 24/7, but that was nothing compared to smartphones.
Hello,
Good article. I’d just like to share my point of view. I’m from the younger generation, and yes, I have a lot of online accounts.
The thing with technology now, especially if you’re a 20 something year old like me, is that we can’t just give up technology right away. When we do that, it’s not an isolated thing, other people get affected. Most of us now expect that we can contact each other pronto and get work done. If we take time off these devices, we might as well be perceived as uncooperative, hard to reach, and not helpful at all.
I do train myself in keeping away from my laptop though, especially when I’m studying for a big exam. I still give myself 10 minutes of FB time as a reward for…let’s say half an hour of study.
It’s not so hard. We’ve gotten used to it. I do hate the fact though, that we can now submit assignments online… gives us no excuse to be late! :))
[…] the original post: The Dreaded Smartphone Posted on 2011 年 02 月 21 日 by lanshang1460. This entry was posted in 未分类 and tagged […]
The blog is really nice one and full of information we appreciate the kind of information you have provided in this post.
this is the reason i got a samsung duos phone. pretty low tech and straight forward but does the job of calling and sending texts!
Love the Ferris pic! I’ll try and turn mine off; I just can’t put it down…ever. Congrats on FP!
I am an iPhone user, it is my personal phone but I use it for work (email) as well. My company didn’t ask me to do this, in fact they are huge advocates of not working during personal time. But I too am an over achiever and my company deals with customers in 8 time zones. If I can take a minute out of my day and respond to someone a quater of a world away and make their day better; it’s worth it to me. When not at work I don’t check my email very often, maybe once in the evening (Before 9) and probably twice on weekend days.
The bigger distraction is my want to know what is going on in the world around me and having a smartphone, which is always with me, is more of a threat to my productivity than anything else.
Great post! Congrats on being freshly pressed! I’m guilty of all the bad habits! Especially letting it interrupt my day and other matters that are (actually) more important. 🙂
Hi,
Ever since my old phone began giving trouble I’ve got into the habit of leaving my phone in the wrong place.
If I am in my home office then it may well be lying on my dressing table in the bedroom or vice versa if I am upstairs. I am trying to correct this bad habit for it means that I have to return many many calls which is costing me.
Thank you so much for these wonderful comments! It’s great hearing both sides of this argument. So glad one post could facilitate this. I really appreciate all of the warm wishes on being FP’ed. Before yesterday I didn’t even know what FP was! 🙂
Salutation:
I must say this I’m a moron I suspect?
However with that being said;what is “FP”?
I don’t know how you can live w/o the Android!
However don’t buy from “Cricket”.
You get unlimited everything!
They offer such a low monthly flat fee!
Great prices?
NOT at “Cricket”.
You know they don’t sell a smart smartphone.
No Flash!
I fell into this category.
The one where I fall asleep w my phone!
Plus, I keep it plugged in charging while in hand!
I’d say if not for the web?
I can live w/o it!
Warmest Regards,
astar2bspoiled
Addendum:
Please tell me what “FP” means?
Keep in mind I don’t even know my url here.
That’s my act of defiance.
[…] I have resisted getting a smartphone for a long time. I know that I’m in the minority of my generation, but I’ve always considered time away from my computer to be a welcome respite from the demands of my nagging, overloaded e-mail inbox(es). My doesn’t-do-anything-but-call-and-text cell phone has served me very well for a number of years. Enter: the BlackBerry. (I’d take a picture of it for you, but the camera is inside the device. Not sure … Read More […]
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[…] The Dreaded Smartphone « I Am An Overachiever […]
[…] The Dreaded Smartphone « I Am An Overachiever […]
The Dreaded Smartphone « I Am An Overachiever…
Here at World Spinner we are debating the same thing……
[…] The Dreaded Smartphone « I Am An Overachiever […]
Cheers…
Really good site, thank you so much for your effort in writing the posts….
This site seems to get a great deal of visitors. How do you advertise it? It offers a nice unique spin on things. I guess having something useful or substantial to post about is the most important factor.
I post links to all of my posts to my followers on Facebook and Twitter, but I got most of my traffic the day this post was listed on “Freshly Pressed” on the WordPress home page. Still not sure how that happened but it was a happy accident. Thanks for stopping by!
Nice work! great website
Interesting thoughts here. I appreciate you taking the time to share them with us all. It’s people like you that make my day 🙂
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