Let’s talk about phones baby!

I’ve been using my new Window’s Phone for almost two months now and I’m back with one final review about my experience (you can read my other reviews here and here).  I can honestly say that if I were going to go out and buy a smart phone I would buy the Window’s Phone.  It really is so user friendly, things load quickly and the picture is amazingly crystal clear.  By way of importance it ranks right up there with my keys and wallet.  My favorite feature about the phone is the “kid’s corner” which gives you the ability of putting apps on a screen specifically designated for your little ones.

When on that screen they can’t access anything else on the phone unless they know your password.  We have an iPod Touch and every time my kids get their hands on it, it’s all messed up.  If I could change two things it would be the addition of Instagram and being able to change the settings so it chimes every few minutes if you have a new text or voice message.

Now that I’ve gushed about how much I love the Window’s Phone I’m going to change pace a little bit and talk about my beef with cell phones in general.  I’m learning what a huge temptation a cell phone can be to disconnect from the people and space around us.  As a family, we went to a violin concert last week and sat in the balcony.  During intermission we stood up to stretch our legs and looked over the balcony and saw just about every other person was hovered over the glow of their phone.  It was a little disturbing.  People had got dressed up, paid a lot of money to enjoy a concert with a date and spent the time meant to converse on their phones.  It made me wonder if we  have become totally disconnected in our quest to be connected?

The last two months have been spent getting to know my new phone and frankly, I’m in love.  But I’ve also witnessed myself at times attending more to my phone then to my children doing time wasting, silly things on the phone.  It’s starting to become an addiction that I need to set limits for.  Apparently it’s not just me.  The other day we were at the park and I watched a dad pushing his son in the swing with one hand while scrolling on his phone with the other.

Are our smart phones making us dumb?  I think phones have a definite time and place in our lives but we have to use them carefully.  Whatever happen to just sitting in silence to allow our thoughts come and go uninterrupted? Just as I set rules for my boys when it comes to tv and video games I also need to set rules for myself around my phone.  Whatever they see me do is what they too will one day mimic.  Must tread wisely.

I hope I’m not sending the wrong impression that I’m anti-cell phones! They have gotten me out of a bind a handful of times and I even send a phone with my oldest son when he’s at a friends house or at scouts.  Just saying it might be time to write a book of phone etiquette rules.

The last thing I want to leave with you is a contact a mom created for her son when she gave him his first cell phone.   I think this is one of the most genius ideas I’ve ever come across on the internet.
Seriously.
Read it here.

Content and/or other value provided by our partner, Windows Phone.