What I Learned From My Smartphone

One day back in September, I was browsing away on my iPhone when I noticed that I wasn't connected to wifi.  I was at home at the time and my phone always automatically connected to our wifi when I was at home.  I went to double check the connection when I noticed that the wifi button on my phone was "greyed out."  It physically wouldn't let me connect to wifi.  A little while later, I recieved a text message saying I had used up all of my data for the current billing cycle.  No kidding.  I had been unknowingly using up my data for days probably.

Upon further research I learned that a lot of phones like mine had had problems with the wifi chip inside the phone after the phone was updated to the current software.  I read tons of complaints online on the Apple chat boards how phones weren't working properly for no reason and out of the blue.  I also found several videos on how you could temporarily "fix" this wifi problem, most of which seemed a little crazy (putting your phone in the freezer, applying heat using a hair dryer, etc.).

I searched online for answers.  I even went to both my cellphone carrier and the Apple Store, neither of which were helpful.  I will say Apple was the least helpful of all, but that's a whole extra story.

Anyway.

About a month after the wifi stopped working forever, I noticed that my on/off button on my phone was permanently in the "off" position.  Though my phone was on, I could no longer turn my phone off, or restart it.  Anyone who has a smartphone knows that occasionally you have to restart your phone for whatever reason, so not being able to do so led to a whole new set of issues.

Before long, my apps stopped working.  And my voicemails never came through.  And finally (and this one stung the most), my text messages stopped working.  My phone was now just, a phone.  To make calls.

Every possible solution to my phone dilemma that I found online said the same thing:  Step 1 Restart your phone.  

Thanks, but I can't do that.

For a total of five months, my phone wasn't working properly for one reason or another.  I know.  First world problems.  But when you count on your phone for your business, not to mention your daily life, it's a hard pill to swallow when your "smart" phone is no longer that smart.

So, I got into the habit of manually checking my emails and messages and left my phone setting on the kitchen counter.  I found ways to do things online that I used to do from a handheld device.  Did you know you can post to Instagram from a laptop computer?  Well you can.  It doesn't always work and you can't use hashtags in the captions, but you can.

And poor Jason.  I complained a lot.    

Before long, I was getting used to setting my phone down and not looking at it again for hours (but yet the battery still drained super fast....what gives).  It was actually liberating.  I wasn't distracted by it and was able to focus on Katherine and family life.

My phone upgrade finally came due and I took it.  Happily.  I now have a brand new phone.  The latest model.  It's glorious.  I forgot how easy it was do things from your phone instead of hunting down a tablet or logging on to a laptop.

While it would be super easy to go back to my old ways of distraction by iPhone, I'm trying to keep my same habits that I had while my phone wasn't working.  I try to not constantly be checking my phone when I'm supposed to be spending time with my family.  It's hard.  We live in an age where everything is instant.  We want to look up something, or answer a text, or check an email, or browse social media now.

Ironically enough, the hardest part of breaking this smartphone habit is when I want to Google something.  As Katherine and I were watching Sophia The First, I knew one of the characters' voices sounded so familiar.  I wanted to grab my phone and look up who it was.  I refrained until later when Katherine was down for her nap.  It was Bonnie Hunt.  Bonnie Hunt is the voice of "Aunt Tilly."

Who knew my broken phone would actually be teaching me a valuable lesson:  Put your phone down more often and complain less often.

But it's still way better to have a phone that works.  I think I'll post something to Instagram.

Aaaaaaaaand done.