We never did get a smart phone. As a matter of fact, we never got text capabilities. My phone plan costs less than $10/month for 20 minutes of talk time, free weekends, free mobile-to-mobile, etc.

For us, it just started to feel like we’re all expected to be “available” 24/7. Sometimes, like in the event of an emergency, it’s important; but we don’t want to be interrupted whenever we’re spending quality time with family or friends, or working, etc. The internet/technology can really suck the time out of one’s life, which can lead to neglecting one’s family, friends, work, etc.

Some tech is really, really useful: the internet (how did we ever live without it?), cell/car phones for emergencies or when you need to meet or locate people in a crowd, etc. But there comes a point when technology becomes your master instead of your servant. IMHO, we’re well beyond that point. There is the privacy issue, as well. AFAIK, my phone can’t specifically track where I am, and there are no advertisements.

Of course, for some people, having a “smart phone” is crucial, and those people would obviously want to have access to all the “latest and greatest,” but do we all need to be interrupted on a regular basis as we go about out days?