QOTW: Are you addicted to your smartphone?

[Saracen]

For those are are "addicted", as defined by using it a lot and hating to be without, I think a more illuminating question would be a breakdown of what you use it for?

Business people periodically checking email/messaging because work requiremments demand it is rather different from compulsively checking social media status/updates every 30 seconds.

[spacein_vader]

For those are are "addicted", as defined by using it a lot and hating to be without, I think a more illuminating question would be a breakdown of what you use it for?

Business people periodically checking email/messaging because work requiremments demand it is rather different from compulsively checking social media status/updates every 30 seconds.

I use it for email, reading this forum and another forum I moderate. They're the uses I don't mind. I also use it for filling time, just browsing aimlessly. It's that I need to stop.

I don't use games though.

[Andeh13]

I'm not exactly checking it 9 billion times a day but it's probably close yeah :/

Likewise for me as well! So easy to get everything in one place, news, info, contacting others, Hexus, forums, Taking photos, receiving pics from family etc

[Tunnah]

I sit in front of a PC all day. About 10 people have my phone number, and get chewed out for phoning me, and I don't use social media all that much.

As I've gotten older I've walled myself off more and more, but I've always been a fairly private person, and phones really bug me because it means people can always reach you. My phone is off more than it's on.

[hellig]

you mean my phone from 2006 ? that cant use the internet anymore since wap is no longer used, so no

[Potbellieddwarf]

Definitely not addicted to me smartphone, I hardly use it.

I only really have it so the wife can contact me on the odd occasion I am out of the house.

Yes I could totally do without it as long as I had a basic mobile phone, on the odd chance my wife needs to contact me.

[Jef_Uk]

I don't own a phone!
Tool of Satan forcing the common people to by crap they don't want and be slaves to the masters. Kill the masters!!!

(PS I own my own company please don't kill me I don't expect people to respond to questions at 3 am.)

[Wrinkly]

Don't have one, refuse to get one. I believe it's only dumb people that require a smart phone

[DemonHighwayman]

I got rid of my last smartphone back in 2012 and have been much happier being free from it. If people want me they can call the house phone or visit me if they must.

[virtuo]

I wouldn't say I'm addicted, but it's an incredibly useful thing to have, so I use mine a lot.

I can keep in touch with family/friends by phone/text, I can take photos/videos whenever I want, I can get directions, listen to music, watch TV, read 'books', research literally anything, do my shopping, monitor and administer my servers, check my emails, monitor my blood sugar levels and even kill some time playing chess. In something that fits in my pocket.


I like going on holiday and not having to worry about my phone, I don't miss it if it's not there (unless I'm lost).

[Ttaskmaster]

I wouldn't say I'm addicted to the Smartphone.

Most of my mobiles have been bought for me by other people, who were tired of not being able to contact me.
For ages, I've made use of PDAs, from PalmPilots and Psions onward. When it became an option, I would shop for a device based on its computing capability/features and finally pull the trigger if it could also do phonecalls and texts on teh side. As standards moved on I was forced tp upgrade, such as when my phone couldn't display a full length text of contemporary character count.

Eventually the best option at a suitable price for me was a Galaxy S5 Neo and that's what I'm on today. I still tend to use it forPDA type stuff, pretty much like an extension of my PC, really. I barely use 10 minutes of my free calls each month and maybe 20 texts, most of which are to the wife and regarding dinner.

While the Smartphone does have a lot of useful features like SatNav, notepads, calculators, compass, eBook Reader, conversion tables, calendar, camera, OBD-II... I still carry things like a real compass, notebook and pencil, ruler, etc, and I could just as easily go back to having all the older tech items that do the same job. A Smartphone is (reasonably) convenient as an all-in-one approach, not an essential life tool.

My favourite phone is still the Samsung SGH Z500 that just about fit in the watch pocket of my jeans. Cor, those were the days, when all the old fogies were complaining about how ridiculously small phones were getting instead of how ridiculously large they are these days!!

Could switch to a numb phone easy enough

Is that one that vibrates so hard, you lose feeling in your hand?

[Smudger]

Shush now, I'm busy texting.

[Dashers]

Yes, I'm definitely addicted. It's a really convenient bit of kit, combining many things that specialise elsewhere into an all-round useful tool.

I can take photos of meter readings, or things in shops I want to look up later etc. It's great for those notes on the go type situations.

I can have inpromptu "they've run out of X at the shops, do you want Y or Z instead" conversations.

Deal with the "Anybody know why X happens?" questions that rock up from time to time.

Get up to date information and news when I'm generally away from technology and bored (loo, bed, public transport).

I've got heaps of music on it for listening to when I'm working.

Sat navigation when in the car. With realtime traffic maps.

And probably many other things that I can do with a myriad of other devices I already own - and probably do to a better quality. Just less portably and conveniently.

I don't really use my smartphone as a phone, I use it as a portable computer.

[shaithis]

No, even though I use it a fair amount and have a high-end model.....no im not addicted.

Probably because I hate facebook and refuse to use it, which seems to be what most "smartphone addicts" cannot leave alone.

[bitbucket]

I got rid of my last smartphone back in 2012 and have been much happier being free from it. If people want me they can call the house phone or visit me if they must.

'House' phone? Explain please.

[spacein_vader]

'House' phone? Explain please.

It's like a normal phone except there is only one base station which is in your house and the range is only about 20m. Oh, and as well as charging you for usage there's a monthly standing charge too.

And unless you opt out they publish your number for all and sundry.