Smartphones - Should I Upgrade?

You may be surprised to hear that even though I have a Masters in Instructional Technology, I still use a flip phone.  I am eligible for an upgrade with Verizon Wireless, but this time neither of our sons needs to use it.  So, the question is whether or not I should finally upgrade to a Smartphone.  I am the only one in our house who does not use one.

While some of you may think it a no-brainer that I should…let me present some facts.  When I go to work, my school does not get cell service, so I would not be able to use it at work.  When I come home, which is just a 7-minute ride, I have my home phone and computer, so I wouldn’t use a cell phone to make calls or check email.  I use my cell phone on weekends and days off.  When I need to make a call, I turn it on.  Then, most of the time I turn it back off, although sometimes it stays on for the day while I am out.  So why should I pay an extra… $30 plus $10 for insurance, plus texting and taxes…$50 or so a month for something that I don’t need and might hardly use?

I like using my MacBook Air at home for all my Internet needs. I am thoroughly connected at home, reliably checking email throughout the day.  Not only that, but my sons can attest to my obsession with Spider Solitaire.  What I am afraid of is being sucked in to using and being attached to yet another piece of technology.  Apps, games, maps, texts…the list goes on and on.  I see people of all ages around me constantly on their Smartphones, even while in the company of others.  Are we becoming addicted to them to the point of rudeness?  Does your friend really need to get the answer now as to what day you want to meet for lunch?   Couldn’t it wait until after you are out of the company of others to check your text messages?  I don’t want to become ‘that person’.  Instead of making idle conversation with a stranger in a waiting situation, I don't want to be staring down at a 4-inch screen zapping angry birds.

I certainly understand why so many people have Smartphones. When I travel in the car with my husband, I witness how his i-Phone allows him to stay connected to work, providing immediate answers to important questions.  We use the map feature for checking traffic and also to help with directions that we didn’t get before leaving home.  He has a music collection stored on it that is way more comprehensive than the CDs that are housed in my car.  Beyond that, we really don’t need to use the i-Phone in the car, yet I find myself checking my e-mail and Facebook accounts when I would otherwise not have even thought or cared to.  I won’t even begin to pretend to understand how important our sons’ i-Phones are to their daily lives.  They store their calendars, music, contact information, and other important ‘stuff’ in their phones, while texting and talking their way through their day.  They are connected 24/7.

If I get a Smartphone, would I get sucked in to becoming a constant user or will it find its way to the nightstand like my Kindle has?  (There is something about holding a book...)  Would I start using the Smartphone at home instead of my landline even though it is not as comfortable to talk with?  Or would it sit in my purse most of the day, unused?  I seem to have a love-hate relationship with these new devices.  I love their abilities, yet I also like how things were in the good old days, independent of electrically having to charge devices to be able to get through a day.

So what should I do?