Honestly, honestly do you feel smartphones have improved your quality of life?

[aygart]

so I guess you answer was not sure, but your explanation is pretty cleat that you are sure.

Seems that the difference may be what you consider to be quality of life.

[Dan]

What are the chances? are there statistics on this?
How many teenagers or 20-30 YO's can set boundaries, before it destroys part of their most quality time of life?

Who said teenagers should have a smartphone?

[ExGingi]

Who said teenagers should have a smartphone?

Were the Treo or the Centro smartphones?

[Dan]

Were the Treo or the Centro smartphones?

According to Sprint and Verizon, no.

[aygart]

According to Sprint and Verizon, no.

lol

[Dan]

OK, so I need a smartphone for business.

Just for travel alone, I can't imagine not having a smartphone. I remember the bad old days when you were reliant on an agent to find alternate flights in case of IRROPS, when you didn't have Waze telling you where to go and how to avoid traffic, when you couldn't calculate zmanim based on real time info, when you needed to shlep around a key for your car, etc, etc.

Turn off your phone during family time if that's your main concern. But I could never go back again.

[CountValentine]

So what did you do after those few days?

Got sucked back in. 
I don't use my phone like most. I look at it as an emergency tool more than anything else.

[aygart]

OK, so I need a smartphone for business.

Just for travel alone, I can't imagine not having a smartphone. I remember the bad old days when you were reliant on an agent to find alternate flights in case of IRROPS, when you didn't have Waze telling you where to go and how to avoid traffic, when you couldn't calculate zmanim based on real time info, when you needed to shlep around a key for your car, etc, etc.

Turn off your phone during family time if that's your main concern. But I could never go back again.

I currently have a smartphone which comes out of the drawer when i am on the road but use a flip when i am local. Granted,you travel much more than i do.

[ExGingi]

I currently have a smartphone which comes out of the drawer when i am on the road but use a flip when i am local. Granted,you travel much more than i do.

I was thinking of an Apple watch for local and iPhone when traveling. I can't imagine the watch would be as disruptive as a smartphone.

[Definitions]

I was thinking of an Apple watch for local and iPhone when traveling. I can't imagine the watch would be as disruptive as a smartphone.

What does a watch have?

[ExGingi]

What does a watch have?

I don't really know, but I believe calling and texting, and a few other apps that don't require much of a screen.

[yuneeq]

Very hard to imagine running my business without my smartphone, so I’d say it’s been very beneficial to me. And if I’m being honest, do I use my phone too much? Yes, but not during dinners or when with the family.

However, I will add, that the way I use my phone is similar to the way I consume other media. I read newspapers, magazines, and books, cover to cover. I get sucked into reading something and I can’t stop until the end. The internet is endless but I do have my limitations to ensure that my consumption is not endless.

A better question for me would be - if someone could guarantee the same profit in my business and quality of life without a smartphone, would I still do it? Likely not, because I really enjoy learning new things that much.

[Definitions]

ok so its a time waster. you would do more valuable things in that time? your'e almsot saying that yes.
your being quiet, would most pro change if you wouldn't have this, which would result in a better future rather than burying yourself in your problem.

so I guess you answer was not sure, but your explanation is pretty cleat that you are sure.

Would I be doing something more valuable? I honestly don't know what I would do. I do know that when I was younger and didn't have a phone I used to play video games.
I was quiet even before I had a phone. I'm pretty sure I'd still be quiet without a phone.

Well, @Definitions may say that you can just explain to them how important self control is and then even any teenager can have one that is totally unfiltered and very reliably control themselves. 

There's a difference between optional self control and mandatory self control.

My quality of life has improved since I switched away from a smartphone in more ways than I ever imagined. This is without having had any apps like facebook/instagram/etc. and without being a part of facebook chats.

I was recently without service/smartphone for a couple of days. Quality of life goes up without them.

For example?

I don't really know, but I believe calling and texting, and a few other apps that don't require much of a screen.

So basically the same as a regular phone.

[aygart]

There's a difference between optional self control and mandatory self control.

Between a smartphone and a memory card with inappropriate things on it, which is optional and which is mandatory?

[Yard sale]

I think the real question is are you happier since you adopted a smartphone. There is little doubt that we are more efficient and productive than earlier generations in good part due to smartphones ( despite the hours of time they cause us to waste)- remember waiting in line for hours just to pick up textbooks from B&N, or buying products off the shelf  that looked good but broke in no time because there were no user reviews available?

But are we happier, more satisfied, more thinking people? In my experience the answer is a resounding NO.

[Dan]

I think the real question is are you happier since you adopted a smartphone. There is little doubt that we are more efficient and productive than earlier generations in good part due to smartphones ( despite the hours of time they cause us to waste)- remember waiting in line for hours just to pick up textbooks from B&N, or buying products off the shelf  that looked good but broke in no time because there were no user reviews available?

But are we happier, more satisfied, more thinking people? In my experience the answer is a resounding NO.

If money doesn't make people happy, why in the world would a phone make people happy?!?

It's a tool to make your life easier and more efficient, though without self control it can also make your life less efficient due to wasted time or increased productivity. That means it either can be used to improve your quality of life or it can be used to detract from it.

But happier?

[Yard sale]

If money doesn't make people happy, why in the world would a phone make people happy?!?

It's a tool to make your life easier and more efficient, though without self control it can also make your life less efficient due to wasted time or increased productivity. That means it either can be used to improve your quality of life or it can be used to detract from it.

But happier?

 Even if it were strictly the fault of the user I think that outcomes are a valid measure of something success or failure. If for whatever reason most smart phone users are less happy then when they first adopted the smart phone that is an indication that the average person does not have the tools and self control to use the smart phone in a positive way.

Although judging the smartphone strictly as a tool to make life easier, a smartphone does deliver more productivity and efficiency and less frustrating and useless downtime and should theoretically lead to more satisfaction/ happiness, this is not the reality.. I think a major factor is the the substitution of social media for real human interaction and communication. I think many people would say that they are now in contact with a whole lot more people but have less meaningful human interaction and real communication. You can say it’s not the smartphone per se, but the way one decides to use the smartphone that’s at fault but that’s not really the whole truth.

 Just to take one example, it’s  often considered socially unacceptable to call someone out of the blue or drop in for a visit now that text/ WhatsApp etc. are accepted avenues of communication. Orders over  WhatsApped often take the place of home baked or personally arranged gifts for Simcha’s. Status updates sometimes take the place of personal calls. And there are countless more examples where phones have taken over personal interactions to the point that is isn’t acceptable to do things the old fashioned human to human way . That has got to have an impact on ones happiness.

[Mordyk]

woke up to my internet on my phone not working. busy for 2.5 hours with verizon and with GenTech.  and im very frustrated.

 improved my life? meh

[Dan]

Even if it were strictly the fault of the user I think that outcomes are a valid measure of something success or failure. If for whatever reason most smart phone users are less happy then when they first adopted the smart phone that is an indication that the average person does not have the tools and self control to use the smart phone in a positive way.

Although judging the smartphone strictly as a tool to make life easier, a smartphone does deliver more productivity and efficiency and less frustrating and useless downtime and should theoretically lead to more satisfaction/ happiness, this is not the reality.. I think a major factor is the the substitution of social media for real human interaction and communication. I think many people would say that they are now in contact with a whole lot more people but have less meaningful human interaction and real communication. You can say it’s not the smartphone per se, but the way one decides to use the smartphone that’s at fault but that’s not really the whole truth.

 Just to take one example, it’s  often considered socially unacceptable to call someone out of the blue or drop in for a visit now that text/ WhatsApp etc. are accepted avenues of communication. Orders over  WhatsApped often take the place of home baked or personally arranged gifts for Simcha’s. Status updates sometimes take the place of personal calls. And there are countless more examples where phones have taken over personal interactions to the point that is isn’t acceptable to do things the old fashioned human to human way . That has got to have an impact on ones happiness.

So delete your social media/Whatsapp. That's conflating 2 separate issues.

[iwlw2]

On balance, despite the tremendous conveniences and ways in which it sometimes feels indispensable, probably not because of all the downsides (which you articulated quite well, and a few others). Nevertheless, getting rid of it is far easier said than done, as I do believe that completely abandoning it would probably lead to an overall downgrade in my quality of life in many areas (obviously with leaving the religious aspect out, which might require doing it no matter what). That being said, it's ultimately a matter of trying to find the right balance as @Dan said, because as difficult as it might be to achieve, it is possible to find some kind of happy medium.