Who Knew Life Without a Smartphone Was Fun

I started my love of smartphones when a Research in Motion Representative offered to provide me with a Blackberry Tour, The Blackberry Diaries book and a specific time with a Verizon Wireless account. This was a way to not only read the book, which I still love, but a way to find out what life as a mom with a smartphone was all about just like the author wrote about in her book.

Eventually I continued on with a Verizon Wireless account and upgraded to another Blackberry and then a Droid HTC Incredible. I loved each smartphone I had because:

• I could tweet whenever and wherever.
• I could stalk my Facebook page/profile and friends.
• I could entertain my 3 yr old while waiting for his siblings at the school.
• I could stalk my email account.

You see, with my smartphone I could essentially be connected anywhere, anytime and any place. This included while watching a movie with the family, eating lunch with friends, taking a walk downtown. Yes, essentially I was able to communicate, tweet and poke the world wide web on Facebook and Twitter every single moment of the day.

Do you see the problem with this?

I got addicted to my smartphone and the capabilities it had.

My life had become so vitally wrapped up in checking emails every five minutes and tweeting any chance I got that I forgot how to be more responsible about tweeting, updating Facebook and not to mention let people wait for me to reply to emails. It’s actually a good thing to not reply immediately to every single pitch, client, prospect, junk email whatever… it’s good to make people wait a little bit.  When you make people wait for your reply it shows them you have a life, you are a busy and when one has a life & is busy many want to work with them.

Since I have kicked my smartphone to the curb I do miss having that instant connection with the world wide web, but honestly? I feel more connected with my family than ever before. I actually sit through a show or movie without touching my cell phone. I can go outside and play with the kids, push them on the swing and not even flinch to touch my cell phone. I feel that the smartphone was taking more away from my life than it was helping, yes even in social media.

Now when I tweet or update my social media accounts – it matters. I am not tweeting or updating random crap. I am taking time to share genuine information, well okay so I do still tweet about random things people don’t need to hear but I am not doing it in the middle of a family moment!

I love my life without a smartphone and if you asked me if there was one thing that I really miss most about my smartphone I would say: I  miss having the camera that was on it to capture the family moments I am having more of lately.