by C

It was the computer, it was the phone, it was Facebook, and it now is the smartphone. If you’re wondering what they all have in, wonder no further. All of them (among many others) have been in recent years been accused of vying for our attention, degrading our social skills, tearing families apart, and becoming a form of addiction to us. Smartphone in the past year has been the latest of which society has been asked to be watchful over its use.

In the past week, The Star has published a few articles focusing on the issue of smartphone addiction. It was even deemed to be front page material as it caught reader’s attention on its Sunday print edition (12th February 2012). Among the various issues brought up includes complaint by parents that “gadget has come in between the family, with children “talking” more to their phones than to their parents”, partners getting into affairs due to phone-relationship, marriages hitting rock bottom due to over usage of smartphone, children unable to handle real life due to them being hooked on smartphone, decline of social skills, and etc. You get the idea of where the argument is going.

While smartphone per se have been around since the early 2000s, it probably became the “in-thing” when the craze started in 2007 with the release of the first iPhone. Since then, smartphone has evolved from a high end device for a select few to an everyday item for the common man. When you think about getting a new phone, you would most likely not be thinking of getting a Nokia 3310 anymore. Instead, iPhone, HTC, Samsung Galaxy, or one of the many smartphone brands would be your main choice. From the looks of it, we can be almost certain that smartphone is here to stay and will be further integrated into our daily lives as more and more people adopt it as their communication device and more.

But with such news reports should we pull back the reins of joining the smartphone party? I believe that it is not necessary to do so. Let us remember that the same sort of accusations have been levelled against almost all new kinds of technology from the television to Facebook. At the end of the day, the user and not the tool should be the one shouldering the blame. It’s like banging your hand with a hammer and blaming the hammer for it. Let us as users remember to practice caution and wisdom in not getting ourselves hooked to a tool that should be used to ease and not hamper communications. Here are some tips to keep in mind for smart smartphone usage (source):

• Don’t buy the Lexus of phones: There is no need to purchase the most feature-rich, complex device on the market just because it’s available. Select a phone that meets your needs and ignore the bells and whistles that will only serve to confuse you.
• Don’t go app crazy: The more apps, the slower your phone works, and the faster it runs out of battery. Constantly buzzing and beeping apps can also be distracting. The truth is, most people only use between 5-10 apps regularly. So stop the downloading madness.
• Leave the phone in another room: If you constantly have the urge to check your smartphone, leave it in another room so that you aren’t tempted to pick it up. This is especially useful if you have set aside time to do something away from your phone, like finish a report or play a game with your family.
• If you’re talking to someone, don’t answer it: Unless you are expecting an urgent call, do not allow your phone to interrupt an in-person conversation. Sneaking peeks at your phone or typing away on it while someone is trying to command your attention will negatively impact your relationships and productivity.