How Often Do You Use Your Smart Phone?

[The Late Night Gourmet]

A few years ago, I would have said that using a smart phone all the time was something that young people did. But, I was visiting my dad in the hospital (he's okay now) when I saw something that opened my eyes. At the elevator, I saw an elderly priest, a woman in a business suit, a burly male construction worker, and a teenage girl. This sounds like the setup for a bad joke, but what these otherwise very different people had in common was that all of them were using smart phones.

I didn't realize until that moment just how ridiculous I am with my phone:

• I'm watching a TV show, and I recognize an actor in the show. In the past, I would have brainstormed with my wife to figure out who he was. Now, I just look it up on my phone. I've found that I have to know this sort of thing immediately!
• I'm at the supermarket, and I see that cherries are still very cheap. In the past, I might have bought the cherries, and then later tried to figure out what to make with them. Now, I pull my phone out, and I look up potential recipes with cherries.
• If I'm waiting in line for something or other, there's no staring off into space and trying to will the line to move faster. Instead, I look up the news of the day, or play a game on my phone to pass the time.
• Even if I just have 5 minutes before a meeting, I might spend 4 minutes and 55 seconds of that time on my phone.

What I don't do is stare at my phone the whole time I'm having a meal with my family. I consider this to be disrespectful, but my teenagers don't seem to see it that way (and, they don't seem to see me, because they're so busy looking at their phones).

I know the people on this forum aren't all young people, so I expect the results here to be pretty telling.

 

[detroitdad]

, I pull my phone out, and I look up potential recipes with cherries.

I just did that a few minutes ago with turnip greens.

 

[TastyReuben]

Well, I don't really have a computer except for my work computer, so my phone is my go-to device for internet access.

I, too, look up actors and plot recaps and things like that.

I also use my grocer's scan-and-pay app for buying my groceries, when possible, and all my grocery coupons are digital and I load them to my loyalty card from my phone.

I prefer printed recipes, but I'll use my phone as well.

I also pay for whatever purchases I can using Apple Pay, and for those rare times I ever have a printed check to deposit, I'll do that through my phone.

When I travel, my boarding passes and hotel reservations are on my phone. It's my only camera. I also use GPS more. I'm a late-comer to that, but it's helpful.

The thing I do the least on it...make phone calls. I'm notoriously avoidant to speaking on the phone, so I do text a good bit, and visit all my forums.

Forgot to add - At 53, I'm no youngster.

 

[rascal]

I'm always on the phone, texting, or talking. Most of my recipes are in my head but I made Edmonds mustard sauce
The other day, I giggled it just to confirm I had all the ingredients. Just as well, I'd forgotten the malt vinegar.!!

Russ

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I'm the exact opposite to most. when I was an IT Engineer in a boarding school in the UK, I never even had a mobile phone because there was no signal at home, none at work and nothing in between. I just didn't see the point. The kids at school thought it very odd that the senior IT engineer didn't have one.

Now, well we only moved to a place with a mobile phone signal last year. the first 2 years in Australia were no different to the UK. No signal meant no point in having a smart phone or a mobile of any kind. I had something that worked for calls and messages when I was out and about but you'd wait a year for it to sort it self out. Now I have a new smartphone (about 2 months ago) and yes its OK. the battery life is 'well yeah...' if you use it constantly at home, then you'll have to recharge it during the day otherwise it will be flat before dark (currently 5:30pm). I'm typing this on the laptop using satellite broadband for a connection. It has a stunningly slow time lag but once it gets on with things is very quick. the new phone is much faster in time lag if you use the mobile connection rather than the satellite connection... but there are issues with signal and there isn't coverage across all of where I live. I do however take it with me most of the time. I'll get around to bluetoothing it with the landline phone at some point so that those black spots are covered but....

As for installing apps and the likes, well I'm careful and if I don't like what I've just installed, it comes off immediately. The first thing installed on the phone was AV/Internet Security software before any further configuration or apps were installed - or even any updates.

If we are in the car, I don't generally use it. I think its rude to use your phone and ignore the driver whilst they are driving. same with sitting on the sofa in the evening watching TV together. plus we have a no electronics rule at the table during meals... so I guess phones haven't really invaded our lives here.

 

[TastyReuben]

We don't use our phones when we're eating, unless we're using them for the same thing, like sitting at a diner having breakfast and looking at the closest place to buy a whatzit once we're done eating.

We also can't stand trying to talk to someone while they're on their phone texting or browsing. The wife's family is horrible for that.

 

[CraigC]

Only when necessary, mostly for work and as a call screener. Too many people use them like an extra appendage, especially when driving.

 

[Morning Glory]

I use mine mainly for food photography. In fact all my food photos are now taken with the Galaxy S7 smartphone. Otherwise I use it to text, to phone people, to look up things like places or if a question suddenly crops up about something. But for the forum I really only use the MacBook Pro. Smartphones aren't really the best fit with forums which are more about extended dialogue. I also like to see images on a bigger screen. Plus, I hate tying on a smartphone unless its a short text. The idea of trying to type out a recipe for the forum on a smartphone is not something I would relish.

 

[The Late Night Gourmet]

The thing I do the least on it...make phone calls. I'm notoriously avoidant to speaking on the phone, so I do text a good bit, and visit all my forums.

I like to feel that I'm a direct person when it comes to dealing with things, but I do like the convenience of sending a text if I don't have time to talk (or don't feel like talking). Then, I follow up with a phone call that references the text; it becomes a much briefer conversation than trying to explain all the details verbally.

But for the forum I really only use the MacBook Pro. Smartphones aren't really the best fit with forums which are more about extended dialogue.

I've gotten in the habit lately of posting a first look at a new recipe using my phone, and then following up the next day with a detailed recipe that I post from my computer. I do this because I've already got the phone out (taking pictures of the recipe process), and because I rarely feel like taking the time to sign into my PC and then transfer photos so early in the morning (when I'm typically finishing my recipe).

 

[rascal]

I used to send around 1200 texts a month. I've cut back.

Russ

 

[Mewmew]

Constantly. I'm on it now. Posting.

 

[Mountain Cat]

I'm on it right now as I'm waiting for a friend I am meeting here. But I FAR prefer to type on my laptop. MUCH faster.This is probably only the second post I've done from a phone on this site.

I use it often for GPS. At home I use land line for phone... poor cell connection there. But texting works (usually) at home.

 

[Morning Glory]

But I FAR prefer to type on my laptop. MUCH faster.

Absolutely agree.

 

[Mountain Cat]

It took me 5 minutes to type all of my earlier post on this thread. My friend showed up as I was completing the last sentence, so I simply posted it while she got out of her car.

At any rate, I'm at my lap top now -- I feel the phone is nice to have if I can't get back to sleep at night, and am not in the mood for reading on my Kindle. Otherwise, I'm not hanging on it often. I'd really prefer to use the land line and TALK to people than text (slooowly) on a phone. But texts are great for quick confirmations and such.

When I was working, there was no cell phone access at work - the building was cinder block so nothing got through. I usually left the thing at home - unless there was something I was going to go to do with others after work... it would be available in case of notifying people of delays, or for that GPS function.

I use a real camera for most photos. I enjoy different lenses. Also, it takes half a day for me to mail a photo to myself so I can use it for my blog or whatever. (I am SO not editing blog posts on my phone - in fact I've never even logged into it in edit mode from my phone.). The USB port from phone to computer stopped working about six months ago, so I do have to mail from one to the other. Could be the cable, but the laptop acknowledges the connection.... and just refuses the input.

Ahhhhh, this computer is SO much better to type upon!!!

 

[Morning Glory]

The USB port from phone to computer stopped working about six months ago, so I do have to mail from one to the other.

Mine packed up too although I don't know if its phone or computer end. I now use an adapter straight in the phone port and transfer the photos to a memory stick (useful back-up anyway) then from stick to computer - takes a minute or so to do whole thing.