Should I get a smartphone? If so, which/what phone plan?

seeker

Tue, Jun 25 2013, 4:02 am

Would a smartphone make me more functional or just become another distracting toy? Please discuss.

Seriously, I really want one, but not sure if that's my yetzer hara convincing me I need more addictive gadgetry or if it will really help me.

I do have a lot of papers going on. I have a planner, plus a catch-all notebook that is beginning to cover too many topics to be sustainable, plus the fridge shopping list, and occasionally I start a full page for a day's to-do's aside from the planner. Occasionally I make the mistake of jotting something somewhere random, like the fridge bulletin board or a post-it note, fantasizing that I will remember to see it at the right time.

Back in the day I had a really lovely little Palm Pilot. It won't sync with newer computers, but I stayed loyal to it anyway and then the battery died beyond recharging. It is a really sad loss, it worked really nicely and did not have any distracting internet access. Simple but very functional. Alas.

A smartphone would be quite an expense. We are on a rather tight budget these days. If we use MetroPCS, they have pretty good deals right now, though. We're looking to switch to a budget/prepaid type plan anyway, so we'd need to buy new phones anyway, so by signing up with a deal it's really a bargain except MetroPCS is a worse service.

On a different note, I wouldn't really want to role model for my kids the idea of being constantly connected to a gadget. Though I do already text a lot on my clunky old boring phone. I think I could probably exercise self control around them, and maybe it would be better than checking email on the computer which is a lot less subtle and I have a hard time resisting doing a lot when I'm home alone with only kids.

Ramble ramble ramble. I'm going to sleep. Looking forward to some insight.