One of the parents at my daughter’s school was having some trouble with her daughter. “She keeps using my iPhone to download apps,” explained the distraught mom. “And not the free ones, either! Last month I owed iTunes over $100.”
Maybe you’re wondering how a five-year-old could pull off such a heist. I wondered the same thing until I realized that she, and children like her, have grown up in a smartphone world. In fact, it was exactly eight years ago today (January 9, 2007) that Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPhone. Since that time many things have changed, and I’m not just talking about the fact that kindergartners are better at navigating a smartphone than I am.
There was a time, not so long ago, when I regularly used stuff like books, newspapers, VCRs, DVDs, maps, compasses, cameras, and bank tellers. Now, a tiny computer that fits in my pocket has replaced all those things. Not only has the iPhone changed the way we communicate, travel, work, and play, but it’s also launched an impressive side business. “There’s an app for that” is true, to the tune of $10 billion in revenue since apps began selling in 2008. If you told me eight years ago that people would spend billions of dollars on products that live inside their phone, I would have been skeptical. Now I’m buying them too.
Sometimes I wonder if I’m too reliant on my phone. Turns out I’m not the only one worried about developing an addiction. A few months ago, I heard about a Kickstarter campaign for a product called “NoPhone.” It costs $12 and prides itself on being battery-free, shatterproof, and waterproof. This makes sense once you realize that the NoPhone is literally a plastic brick, in the exact shape and size of an iPhone. The idea is that holding this plastic brick will make you feel like your precious iPhone is in your hands, while still allowing you to live in the present moment and interact with the real, live people around you.
When I read about the NoPhone, I couldn’t help but think that simply turning off your phone would be just as effective. Cheaper, too. The NoPhone folks did not reach their fundraising goal which means this product will not be coming to market anytime soon, so maybe I’m not as old-fashioned as I think.
While keeping up with new technology can be exhausting, it’s also exciting. Who knows where we’ll be and what new gadgets will rule our lives in the future? A lot can happen in eight years. Meanwhile, if you feel yourself falling behind, just find a kindergartner and ask for help. They know what’s going on.
Unplug this weekend,
~Bob
