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Here is a blog post by Andra on Webcrumbz.net - A day in the life of a smartphone user:
I have the idea of writing a blog post for some time now, but I simply didn’t find the necessary time to do it. Now, I believe it’s a must, so I made the time. I don’t have a smartphone for such a long time, but it feels like it’s been by my side for a lifetime and I cannot (or don’t want to…) remember mylife before The Smartphone!
I started to have a phone ever since I was in high school, but it was used strictly to call my mom and let her know I am going to be late. Later on, I discovered the real use of the phone: sit and chat with your friends for hours, even though they were in the next dorm room. And when the big bills started to come to my parents, they cut me off. After this, I took the matter into my own hands, I settled down a bit, but started to pay my own phone bill. This made me more responsible towards the huge amounts of money I had to pay for my conversations, so I dedicated to take a radical measure: not to talk anymore on phone. Whoever would need me would have to call me.
This logic held me through the years and I managed to survive and not give my entire salary on the phone bill. Therefore, the mobile became something I would often forget about, not here when it rang and not be interested in. But all this changed when I received a smartphone for my name day. After the initial impact – I didn’t want one, so I didn’t care about it – I started to read more and more about it and started to use it every second I was awake. Now, two months after receiving it, I depend on it and if I would ever lose it, I strongly believe I would mourn it.
My day starts at 8 in the morning, on the sweet alarm clock of my smartphone. It has a wonderful melody, which enables me to get up and not get cranky in the same time. Almost every day I wake up with a certain song in my head, which inevitably I don’t know, so I reach my hand to the bedside, take my mobile, browse on YouTube for the only 2-3 lyrics I still remember from the dream I had and on my way to the bathroom I listen to it on the headphones. Sometimes, when I am in a good mood, I even have a little karaoke session, which my neighbors don’t really appreciate. They’re loss!
While drinking my coffee I check my emails and organize my tasks over the day, often having the sensation that the day should have about 30 hours or more. After writing on my mobile the night before what I should dress in, it’s really simple and not at all time consuming to prepare myself for the day.
At 10 I have to be at a meeting with some possible partners but after living in this city for almost 7 years now, I still don’t know the names of the streets and how to get to some places. But no worries – I take out my phone, activate the GPS and find out in a matter of seconds where I am and where I should go.
After the meeting I head back to the office and on the way I check to see some more emails (yes, I receive about 50-70 emails a day), respond to them and then check the overall progress our tech team has made to our product. It helps me to be informed in the moment I get to work and don’t loose time asking them again. Also, in traffic, I may get ideas for my personal blog, which I post very easily from my phone again. I do have a personal life too!
After a short discussion with my team it’s about time for lunch and my trustworthy mobile has its part again in always telling me what the best combination of nutrients for my meal is, in order to fit in my clothes in the future too.
After a full day at work, organized by the tasks I set up in the morning, I get a phone call from a friend inviting me out to a cultural art exhibition that started today. After confirming with her, on my way to the location, I search some more details about the event; since I don’t want to go there without knowing what goes around. When I decide I’ve got all the information I need and get to the place, I put my smartphone on silent mode in order not to disturb anyone, but take full advantage of its cameras. I take pictures and send them via social networks to my friends. This way I can be in touch with them, whenever, wherever.
I decide to walk home, since it’s too late to go to the gym and with the help of my smartphone I can very easily count the calories that I am burning by doing so. It calculates my heart rate, calories, how much I have to walk in order for it to have a bigger impact and so on. I am simply walking for the fun of it.
At home, the minute I enter the house my mobile announces me that my cats are hungry and need brushing – well, that’s a little intuitive from all the meow-ing that’s happening around – and it also tells me what movie I would enjoy based on my mood. Fun fact: I can share my option for the movie on my social network and, with some luck and persuasion, I can “see” the movie with a friend that in 500 km away or even more. Or at least, we can comment it together through chat messages.
And so ends my day, a regular day, no more special than others, with me giving thanks to the special tech gurus that have invented the Smartphone and have given it to humankind.
It’s my personal assistant, without which I could see myself making it throughout the day. To add it all, if I could fit my mom into it and manage to put her on silent mode whenever she starts yapping, life would be perfect.