There’s a lot of gatekeeping – when people take it upon themselves to prevent access to a community or identity – when it comes to our phones. You’ve probably seen the memes shared on Facebook and other sites complaining how people are glued to their phones instead of being in the moment.
This article is a rebuttal on that mode of thinking.
Yeah, you wouldn’t want to pull your phone out during an intimate dining experience, during a movie, or a special moment. Yet, there are instances where being locked to our phone is a good thing. Particularly when we’re exploring the city and surrounding areas.
It's a Tool
A lot of us are using our phones as a tool.
We’re deep into research finding the best travel apps to get amazing experiences when traveling around places like Arizona. These apps help us travel off the beaten path more so than if we were simply “rolling with it” like how people romanticize travel back in the day. There’s only so much information you can pull from the locals about hot spots and cool events before you run into the same answers. These apps help us understand the locations history, unique features, and happenings that even locals don’t always know.
Capturing the Moment
Our phones are also particularly awesome for capturing the moment.
Our parents (and grandparents) were carrying around phones when they went out to events, bars, and other fun activities. They had to lug those things around and they sure seem happy to have photos from those great moments. Sure, we’ve spent more money on the devices and need little things like iPhone X screen protectors when they get roughed up but at least we can easily pull them out, take a shot, and put them away to get right back into the moment.
Getting Out and About
Then you have the benefit of using a phone for nature outings.
Hiking around the Phoenix area is quite an awesome experience. There are dozens of great places from Tom’s Thumb to Piestewa Peak Summit to scratch that itch and experience nature. Though, these outings are also quite harrowing – dangerous – for those that aren’t accustomed to hiking. The GPS feature helps us get around and prevent us from getting lost. The maps on your phone will even allow you to drop a pin by your vehicle or campsite so you can get back if needed. Plus, we can use geocaching apps to add a little extra fun to the nature outings.
Health Boosting Goodness
Let’s not forget that it helps with our health.
There probably are negative effects to being glued to a tiny screen throughout the day but you can’t deny apps can be beneficial to our well-being. Dieting and recording keeping apps can help us reach better health goals with our weight. Fitness apps can help us get up and get out of the house more. Fun games do wonders for helping us de-stress when we’re feeling anxiety in public. All those tedious tasks are now easily done with the device you carry around every day.
Money, Money, Money
Finally, you’ve got business.
Smartphones are so sophisticated that it’s you can run your business from the palm of your hand. Apps and online platforms, with a decent connection, will let you develop leads, process orders, tweak websites, publish to social, manage customer service, and ship products. What better way to live in the moment than being able to quickly do business and get back into it all versus being locked into a cubicle until you have the weekend to get out and about?
Conclusion
I guess what I’m trying to say is that our phones have become a fantastic utility to our daily lives. To have some justification and create inclusion via gatekeeping is silly. I can’t be the only one to think this, right? What do you think about it all?
