I have a confession to make: I don't own a smartphone...yet. I have resisted the urge to be connected 24/7 for a while now. Some of my reasons are financial, others are preference for a larger screen with a real keyboard (ie. laptop), and just plain stubbornness.
The latest Pew Research on the subject is quite interesting:
More than eight in ten (83%) American adults own some kind of cell phone. These devices have an impact on many aspects of their owners' daily lives. In a telephone survey conducted from April 26 to May 22, 2011, among a nationally representative sample of Americans, the Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project explored the uses (51% had turned to their cell phone at least once to get information they needed right away) and behaviors of cell phone owners (42% of cell owners used their phone for entertainment when they were bored).
Despite their advantages, the survey also found some downsides for owners, ranging from just needing to take a break from using it to the long time required by some downloads.
I'm just about ready to 'bite the bullet' and buy an iPhone. I just can't resist any more. If you see me in the elevator, please feel free to yank the thing out of my hand and offer up a 'good morning,' and force some good eye contact. I'm afraid we're all starting to lose that skill.
