Giving up your phone

Your post is why it drives me crazy when I hear people talk about a smartphone like it's some sort of extravagent luxury. You see it all the time on social networking sites, especially Facebook: "Today, I was in line behind a woman buying groceries with food stamps. And she had an iPhone!"

Um, it's, like, the greatest bargain of all time. Camera, phone, address book, calculator, notebook, planner, and on and on and on ... She's SAVING money by having an iPhone.

 

And it eliminates the need to converse with people.

When I go visit my mom, I leave my iPhone out of my line of sight for days, because I like to actually converse with her and my gramma. When I go out with friends, I try not to look at my phone at all.

 

But isn't that user choice? It's not the iPhone's fault, though it makes it easier. You can get rid of the phone - or you can exercise some self-control.

Obviously, however, a lot of Americans don't exercise self-control when it comes to their smart phones.

 

Also bear in mind this isn't 1983 and Ma Bell doesn't have a pay phone on every corner. Makes urgent calls that much trickier.

 

That's a silly statement. Everything in your list is a luxury, not a need. You don't save money by purchasing luxuries.

 

Nobody would complain if she pulled out her calculator to enter a figure into her planner. Nobody.

 

The hell they wouldn't.

Everyone would bitch about how long it was taking.

The no pay phones argument is kinda dumb, because the reason there are no pay phones is because everyone has a cell phone. If people didn't have cell phones, there'd be more pay phones.

 

But they wouldn't be griping about how she was a welfare queen with an "iPhone!!!111ELEVENTY!!11"

 

I don't see the connection to your previous statement. A calculator is not a need, either. But it costs less, and costs less to maintain, than an iPhone.

 

If I give up my iPhone, I give up...

Being able to communicate quickly with my wife and child or person caring for my child.
I will never know what the exact time is.
I will need to print directions from a computer.
I will not be able to take "photo notes." Instead of writing it down, I take a picture of what I need.
I will lose music when ever I want it.
I will lose a game center for my child.
I will not be able to take movies and pictures quickly.
I will not have instant access to all my emails.
I will not know the weather or see radar quickly.
I will not be able to text message.
I will not have Siri as my quick encyclopedia.
Waiting in line would suck once again because I would have nothing to do.
I would not have a voice recorded whenever I needed one.
I would lose my instant calendar.
I would not access to all the information I might need when working in the yard or in my house.

 

I concede the airtight point that a calculator costs less money than an iPhone.

 

But not a printed encyclopedia.