I have officially traded in my “dumb phone” and jumped on the Smartphone bandwagon (oh…I am not sure if I am ready)!

Okay…I know I am little behind the times. My “dumb phone” as I liked to call it, wasn’t anything special. It had a 3 mega-pixel camera, no fancy ringtones, no internet, no apps, and only 2 games (oh…the horror!) I feel like I am the last person on the planet to upgrade to a Smartphone. My husband and I held out for a number of reasons: no need to upgrade, phone prices, fees, etc. There was also this little voice in the back of my head saying, “Do I really need to be that connected to the world?”

I have had my Smartphone for a little over a month. While I am truly thankful and grateful to finally have a nice phone (thanks Ben!), I am still left weighing the pros and cons of this “new” technology.
Pros:

-I no longer have to lug around my laptop (which is now broken). I can check my e-mail on the go.

-Navigation!! I can get lost in a tea cup, need I say more!!

- Bar Code Scanning App! This is the best app! I used it when buying my daughter’s car seat. I scanned the bar code and did an internet search to find out if it was the best deal!! Amazing!

- Lots of games Bug (my daughter) can play. Those long trips to the doctor are now a little easier.

- An indestructible case! I am incredibly hard on phones, (so my husband made sure my new one is extra protected.

- Convenience. I don’t have to wait until I am home to look something up. You never know when you might need a random fact!

Cons:

-I am crazy connected to the world. I feel like my phone is always binging or ringing or doing something

- The “new” technology learning curve. I honestly don’t know how to operate it very well. I don’t want to receive an e-mail in the middle of the night!

-The phone can be addictive! Hence a Sunday afternoon spent with friends, we are all sitting on the couch on our phones. Hello…can we have a conversation!!

-Words with Friends!!!! Really do I need to say anything else!

I have more pros and cons of having a Smartphone, but I am not going to bore you with anymore. My Smartphone does have me thinking of a simpler time and laughing about past technology. Do you even remember life before cell phones, Apps, laptops, and tablet devices?!?!

I remember when I was a kid; my mom got a car phone! It actually makes me chuckle because the thing was like a lead brick. She was a Realtor, so this massive device was her way of staying connected on the go!

I also remember when we got computers in elementary school (yes, I am showing my age). We had to use a floppy disk to load a program and then we would have to type and print a document (on a dot matrix printer). After we completed the assignment we were allowed to play Oregon Trail (how I loved that game!) By today’s standards it is incredibly antiquated. Now I can play games on my little phone and print documents off it. Oh…how far we have come!

Is anyone else behind the times like me? Mom’s (or dads) are you still holding out on the Smartphone bandwagon? If you have jumped on the wagon, how are you doing? Do you regret it?

Also, I would love to know some good kid friendly Apps. Please send any suggestions my way.