I was a later entrant into the world of Smartphones than many of my friends and colleagues. A few years ago I purchased the Droid (the tank version) and more recently I have integrated everything Apple and currently have an iPhone 4. I am not one of those people who waits in line for the latest device to be released, but usually when my contract is up I get a new phone (every two years). The incorporation of my phone into my life, however, has been drastic. I do have a long reprieve everyday as I rarely use my phone at work, but am still plugged “in” through my desktop. Once I leave work, I usually am within a few feet of my phone at all times, and this certainly has me conflicted on this dependence. To start, and simply put, I like my phone and I like using it. I enjoy reading new things and I enjoy staying on top of things as they develop. My constant refreshing of things, probably results in a new waste of time as things do not happen as quickly as I update, but I do enjoy visiting my cycle of frequently visited sites throughout the day. Furthermore, I enjoy checking my email, staying on top of my work from home, and using social media sites like Facebook and Twitter to keep up with my friends and peers.
Many of these uses of my Smartphone, as well as where and when I use them, lead to my internal strife and feelings of addiction. To start, catching up with friends and keeping up-to-date with the world and my job seem like good things for me to be spending my time monitoring. I also refrain from using this device while I am driving and I try to keep the phone away from time where I can be focusing on my children. If I go out front and play catch with my kids I do not use it, nor at the dinner table. There are of course times, where I walk the line, like last evening while at my son’s soccer game. When my son was on the field, I had the phone away and watched every second, but when he went to the bench for a break I got it out. To say I am a parent who looks at his phone during his son’s soccer game is somewhat bothersome for me, but generally I enjoy the flexibility to use my phone when I want. Another time of the day that I find difficult to judge is at the end of the day, when the kids are in bed, and my wife and I usually watch a TV show or two before going to bed. This used to feel more like a shared event, but now seems more like we are both multi-tasking through the show and our phones. In general I do not feel bad that I am missing some “TV watching time” as that is in itself not a worthy endeavor, but the inclusion of the phone has changed the dynamic between my wife and I doing “something” together.
The look of using a Smartphone, in the realm of an average American, offers one perspective. My using a Smartphone, however, is only one piece of the puzzle and even if it were removed I own two other computers, a laptop and have a computer at work. The incorporation of Smartphone usage in places like Africa, however, has much greater impact. The following video shows many of the current logistical issues in implementing Smartphones in places within Africa. For example, some of the positives of Smartphone adoption, over computers, etc. are the cost factor. Most 1st and 2nd world countries have seen the infrastructure build and change over time to accommodate technology. We have many old computers in the garage, along with wires running into our house, and empty business locations selling parts, doing repairs, or once housing Internet cafes. To tap into the African population, much of this can be by-passed and people and cities and nations can go directly to Smartphones and wifi. When using this technology, many other pieces of equipment and infrastructure can also perhaps be eliminated, such as televisions, libraries, etc. For many Africans, though, this speed of technology can be very overwhelming and they soon will be inundated with foreign cultures and advertisement to earn their future potential money. Fast food restaurants, clothing corporations, tobacco companies, and sport leagues will soon see Africa as an untapped resource to hook new viewers and costumers.
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