Why I Don't Have A Smartphone ... Yet

Mary McGrath

It seems everyone has a Smartphone.  Everyone but me.  I’m holding out. I know the day will come when my 1999 flip phone finally dies of cardiac arrest, but until that time, I’m going to plod along with my puny screen, my cheapo GoPhone minutes and simply watch my peers salivate over their crack addition to technology.

Why do I resist this?  It’s simple. I don’t want my brain to whittle away with all the bells and whistles that come with so much technology. As a freelance writer and photographer, I think it’s the right move.

You see, I’m already tethered to my computer for several hours a day. The home row calls me for email updates, Facebook posts, Twitter and a slew of other reminders. If I’m on assignment, I’m immersed in writing, rewriting and digesting a stew of photos that need to be edited.

But when I’m away from my computer, even if it’s for an hour or two, I’m free. And it’s such a blessing.  If I were to step up and buy an iPhone (after all, I’m an Apple shareholder), I’m afraid I’ll lose that precious art of daydreaming, making up stories about people passing by, or simply enjoying the silence of the birds churning through a nearby pond.

But it’s hard.

My gal pal has an iPad. While she scrolls through an endless array of rainbow buttons, I catch myself glaring at her screen, its retina display teasing me like a drug dealer promising nirvana. Games! Siri! Apps! It’s like being at a circus and watching one of those barkers belting out those sexy promises.  Will my life improve with this investment? Probably. Those that have abandoned their dumb phones proclaim their glee with all the new technology. I’m tempted.

But for now, I’m holding fast to my little flipper, and enjoying what little silence the day still has to offer.