Life in a post-smart phone era
It’s been about a month since I received my iPhone (courtesy of Mike Yurechko, who gave me an early Christmas present). During this past month, despite my promise to myself that I would fully disconnect from the world, I managed to stay in touch and on top of many things (particularly, Mental Health Camp – which is a cause that I definitely needed to be monitoring – and a request for an interview asking for my expert opinion on environmental policy by CBC On The Coast).
The really funny thing to me now is that, despite the fact that I am now almost 99% of the time connected (I don’t have a data plan, so I download my email, FB updates, sync my calendar and download my tweets using the connect-to-wireless properties of my phone), I don’t see it as an annoyance for the most part. Having the iPhone has given me the opportunity to read and compose responses to important emails while I commute. Read interesting tweets while I am on the Canada Line or the Skytrain on my way to the office. Had I not had my iPhone, holiday shopping in Calgary while trying to coordinate with my Mom, cousin and sister-in-law would have been a nightmare (given that my cousin was sending me emails to update me where she was, using her BlackBerry).
But there is something that made me stop on my tracks and reflect on the ubiquitous nature of iPhones. At many of the social gatherings I have attended in recent weeks (already armed with my iPhones), we seem to be taking the approach of “photo or it didn’t happen“. We TwitPic what’s happening. We tweet about what we do, on site. We check-in on FourSquare or GoWalla. My question to you is – does this detract from the experience?
I have found that for the most part, having an iPhone and being able to have online tools all the time (without having to schlep my laptop around) is useful. When I organized the most recent Preventable bloggers event, I sent out a lot of tweets and YFrog photos documenting the event. It was extremely useful to have my iPhone. But, in other social settings, doesn’t being always online detract from the experience?
What do YOU think?
Related posts:
- Adding a data plan to a smartphone: A pretty smart idea
- What would my professional life be without a smartphone?
- Guest post: Lust for life, by Terra Atrill (aka ZoeyJane)
- My 1000th post – How Web 2.0 has changed my life
- Transportation as a life – Guest post by Karen Quinn Fung
Always being online does get in the way of living in the here and now, of being truly present. On the other hand, because I always have my calendar and email, I’m more able to have a GTD “Mind like Water” and release the brain from having to remember all the time. So it’s really a two way street.
yes and no. sometimes, i find it adds to the experience, especially at things like conferences. it makes it easier to find others in crowds. Other times, it is a distraction. there’s sometimes nothing worse than having a bunch of people sitting at a table all with their heads down, starting on their phones.
I worry sometimes that as a society, we are replacing conversations and interactions with email, texting, twitter etc. I mean, who even talks on the phone anymore?
I too just got an iphone, and I love it. I’m not a mommyblogger or anyotherblogger I just love it.
I did, however, just start my own business in child security gps but I’m not sure what the blogging protocol calls for..am I allowed to introduce it?
yay or nay, I did enjoy your post and it sounds like you know your way around the iphone pretty well! Me? I just started facebooking (I’m a 44 year old mother of 4 boys!) and haven’t even tried twitter. I’ve never even heard of the other sites you mention.
Happy Apping!