Continued Innovation
No matter what, the smart phone industry will be moving forward. There will be more features and apps and gadgets to add to the already versatile devices, and companies seemingly won't stop because there is money in it making updated versions of phones. A lot of money.
Recently CNET's Jessica Dolcourt wrote about the future of smartphones. She makes some predictions as to what could come next.
"Instead, smartphones will come with more components and communications tools to interact more than ever before with people and other devices. We already see some communication with Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth, and NFC communications protocols, plus newcomers like the Miracast standard.
Smartphones of the future could use sensors and machine language to recognize other objects around them. What if leaving your phone in the car for 5 hours triggers a reaction where the phone calls or e-mails to tell you where it is? When someone places his handset on the table too close to yours, it might buzz and flash red, because you've set preferences for it to do so.
As we're sitting on orange and gray chairs in CNET's spacious coffee shop/break room, Mark Rolston, Frog Design's creative director, paints a compelling picture of smartphones acting as social tools in the real world. Let's say you're in a bar or at a conference and you want to meet people, he says. Extremely precise sensors track exactly where you are indoors. Point the phone toward a person in the crowd and her pertinent information pops onto the screen: who she is, what she does, and maybe some background.
You're now using your phone as a social tool in the real world, not just on a social network, and none of the information you're broadcasting is creepy because you've gone through preferences and told your phone exactly what it can share or not. When you approach someone, the basics are worked out and you can get to the business of having a conversation."
Recently CNET's Jessica Dolcourt wrote about the future of smartphones. She makes some predictions as to what could come next.
"Instead, smartphones will come with more components and communications tools to interact more than ever before with people and other devices. We already see some communication with Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth, and NFC communications protocols, plus newcomers like the Miracast standard.
Smartphones of the future could use sensors and machine language to recognize other objects around them. What if leaving your phone in the car for 5 hours triggers a reaction where the phone calls or e-mails to tell you where it is? When someone places his handset on the table too close to yours, it might buzz and flash red, because you've set preferences for it to do so.
As we're sitting on orange and gray chairs in CNET's spacious coffee shop/break room, Mark Rolston, Frog Design's creative director, paints a compelling picture of smartphones acting as social tools in the real world. Let's say you're in a bar or at a conference and you want to meet people, he says. Extremely precise sensors track exactly where you are indoors. Point the phone toward a person in the crowd and her pertinent information pops onto the screen: who she is, what she does, and maybe some background.
You're now using your phone as a social tool in the real world, not just on a social network, and none of the information you're broadcasting is creepy because you've gone through preferences and told your phone exactly what it can share or not. When you approach someone, the basics are worked out and you can get to the business of having a conversation."
What About Dependence?
Given that the phone industry will seemingly move forward and create new "must have" features for smartphones, it would seem like consumers who have already made the switch to smartphones are stuck in an endless cycle of upgrading. Not because of a true need, but out of the psychological pressure they have subjected themselves to - pressure to be up to date, able to take advantage of as many features as possible, and simply to have a phone that works well and has a quality signal (no one wants a phone that doesn't get good service).
But all is not lost. There are ways one can wean themselves off of their phones. Susan Davis of Web MD offers some great examples of how.
It definitely takes discipline and effort, but the results can be quite freeing and rewarding. Davis then shared her own experience in reducing her smart phone usage:
"I started by not checking it for 15 minutes at a time, then 30, then 60 (unless I was dealing with an urgent situation). I decided to avoid using the web browser on the smartphone unless I truly needed information (such as an address or phone number). And I swore off using social media on it entirely. I also made a firm commitment to not text, email, or surf the web on my smartphone while driving.
The result? Even after a few days of this self-discipline, I found that I was concentrating better, more aware of my surroundings, and more relaxed -- and I was more aware of when I was looking for something specific, as opposed to just looking for some kind of connection."
It is possible to reduce one's dependency on smartphones. However, the first and most integral step to the process is simply awareness. This site is intended to inform you, the reader, that there is a general dependence on smart (or even just cell) phones today. It's real, and for most people (myself included) it is not very easy to notice at times.
A balance can be achieved, and the transparency of smartphones can be reduced. It will just take some awareness, discipline, and smarts.
But all is not lost. There are ways one can wean themselves off of their phones. Susan Davis of Web MD offers some great examples of how.
- Be conscious of the situations and emotions that make you want to check your phone. Is it boredom? Loneliness? Anxiety? Maybe something else would soothe you.
- Be strong when your phone beeps or rings. You don't always have to answer it. In fact, you can avoid temptation by turning off the alert signals.
- Be disciplined about not using your device in certain situations (such as when you're with children, driving, or in a meeting) or at certain hours ( for instance, between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m.). "You'll be surprised and pleased to rediscover the pleasures of being in control of your attention," Carr says.
It definitely takes discipline and effort, but the results can be quite freeing and rewarding. Davis then shared her own experience in reducing her smart phone usage:
"I started by not checking it for 15 minutes at a time, then 30, then 60 (unless I was dealing with an urgent situation). I decided to avoid using the web browser on the smartphone unless I truly needed information (such as an address or phone number). And I swore off using social media on it entirely. I also made a firm commitment to not text, email, or surf the web on my smartphone while driving.
The result? Even after a few days of this self-discipline, I found that I was concentrating better, more aware of my surroundings, and more relaxed -- and I was more aware of when I was looking for something specific, as opposed to just looking for some kind of connection."
It is possible to reduce one's dependency on smartphones. However, the first and most integral step to the process is simply awareness. This site is intended to inform you, the reader, that there is a general dependence on smart (or even just cell) phones today. It's real, and for most people (myself included) it is not very easy to notice at times.
A balance can be achieved, and the transparency of smartphones can be reduced. It will just take some awareness, discipline, and smarts.