Step away from the smartphone... Shhh it'll be ok.

[Prism]

62. Smart Phones save indescribable amounts of time

- Yes, GPS is important. As a new driver in the Bay Area, I could spend vast quantities of time consulting maps. Or I could type in the address and let the robot tell me where to go. When I'm in the city on foot, I could spend a lot of time squinting around trying to find streets, BART stations, and bus stops. I could wait around and wonder how long before the next bus comes, sometimes waiting up to 30 minutes (time I could've spent going to another stop or devising a more efficient route). I could do these things, but why would I?

- What's wrong with texting? I could call my partner, hope he answers, and then have a conversation with him or leave a voice mail. Or I could distill what I need to tell him in a five second text, send it, and understand he'll get the information he needs when he's available. I could make five separate phone calls to impart the same information to five different people, or I could keep them all in the loop in one text.

- When we're out and want to find a new restaurant, I could maybe spend time trying to hunt down a Yellow Pages, look up a list of restaurants, try to figure out which ones are close, then take a crap shoot on what might be good based on its name alone. Or I could find one instantly with menus and reviews.

- I could spend money on calendars to set reminders, make grocery lists, and write phone numbers on little scraps of paper. Or I could do all those things on that little device that's already in my pocket.

- I could call the bank, navigate the menu, enter a bunch of numbers. Or, I could spend ten seconds logging into my bank account and checking my balances.

- I could carry books and newspapers around with me all day in a bulky backpack, or I could read what I wanted in little moments of downtime during the day wherever I happen to be.

- I could write a dozen checks, make calls, enter in my information over the phone, and spend time at the post office. Or, I could pay all my bills with just a few flicks at a screen.

- I could wait six months between trips back East to see my niece and nephew, or maybe get a webcam and try the difficult task of scheduling times in different time zones to chat with them. Or, I could face time with them during those precious, impromptu moments when they're being adorable and their parents want to face time it so I can interact with them and share in the moment.

You mistake convenience for laziness. But convenience means efficiency. It means time saved. It means a lot of tedious little life tasks reduced and free time spent doing other things increased.

And I haven't even touched upon all the things a smart phone allows me to do at work.

Disdain for technology is no virtue. My time is important. A smart phone saves hours of it every single week.