When it was time for us to renew our mobile phone plans, MrDartt really wanted a "cool" phone. So he got a touch-screen phone that does all kinds of cool stuff. It surfs the Internet and has all kinds of other cool applications. When he got that phone, I also got a "cool" phone. It gives me my e-mail and lets me e-mail people back. We use it as the modem for our computer at home. It has a calendar (which I don't know how to use) and can store music (which I don't know how to do). It has a camera (which I always use by accident) and a voice-activiated dialing system (which turns itself on and then makes itself dial).
Anyway, my point (yes, I have one!) is that sometimes I feel addicted to my phone. I love to check my e-mail if I'm expecting something special, like when my friend just had a baby and she e-mailed baby pictures -- I could see them immediately on my phone and didn't have to wait until I got home and could see them on my computer.
But on the other hand, sometimes I feel kind of trapped by it. Because I know that if I ever respond to people's e-mails by phone, there's a little tagline at the bottom of my outgoing message that says something like, "Sent from my Alltel Blackberry." So THEN, people know that I have the capability to read and respond to e-mail from anywhere, and then they expect instant answers. But sometimes I'm playing with the kids or feeding the kids dinner or reading or something and I just don't want to check my e-mail or respond to anyone. And it takes me so long to type on the darn thing, it takes much longer to compose a message!
I suppose this is just an illustration of the benefits and drawbacks of technology -- yes, it's awesome to be able to look at baby pictures immediately, or to see that I do, in fact, have a new writing assignment from my editor. But sometimes it's not so awesome that people expect me to read and respond to their e-mails within a millisecond.
When it comes time to get new phones, I will see which side wins. Will I get a fancy phone with e-mail capability? Probably. But will I still wish for a regular old phone, whose capability stops at talking to other people? Probably.
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When I was in LA it seemed like lots of friends and relatives had "cool" phones. Instant this and that would be too much pressure for me. People think I am challenged by my cellphone for a reason. Its not that I don't know how to use it, I just pretend not to. (shhh, don't tell) I'm a "I'll do it on my own time" kind of gal. My 9 year old niece has a sidekick and was showing me how to use it when we were visiting. That's a little much.
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