Smartphones Are Toys First, Tools Second from Raptitude

I was a very late adopter of a smart phone and I would be hesitant to give it up. It is helpful. I like being able to check the radar when out and about, look up reviews of products when I'm out shopping, etc.

But our smartphone has no social media, no email, no games, etc. and very few apps. It's our phone and that's about it. I have the Pinterest app installed and I use it primarily as a means of boosting my account's standing with the Pinterest algorithm. Even with that I have to remind myself to use it that way a couple of times a week. We also use it as a research tool when we are out and about as a family and wonder about some fact while we're having lively conversations in the car. From that standpoint, it's very educational. But that's it.

It is possible to enjoy the benefits of a smart phone and not be controlled by it.

Even when I unlock my phone for a decidedly empowering use—looking up a fact, entering something in my calendar—it’s unlikely I won’t also tap on Instagram, and maybe Pocket, Yahoo Sports, or whatever other icons pull the eye in that moment.

It’s this reflexiveness, this hyper-conditioned way I’ve come to use the device, that concerns me most. I’ve spent most of my adult life, including ten years writing on this blog, learning to be more conscious, more present, more intentional, and less reactive, which has all been very empowering.

But my phone, at least the way I currently use it, works against all that. It’s so strangely resistant to conscious, intentional use.

Why is this thing so compelling?

It’s not because of its unprecedented usefulness. It’s because of its unprecedented salience.