Post Academic

In theory, a smartphone should turbo-charge your noggin. With a few fingertaps, you can access entire libraries of data. Yet you’re running a risk of relying too much on your phone. Since you can’t be on the phone at all times (see entry 1 and entry 2 of Post Academic’s Smartphone Survival Series), your brain needs to stay strong. Here’s how:

Unplug occasionally. You’ll strengthen your brain cells if you put your phone out of reach. Smartphones are so easy to use that this might seem bonkers. After all, they cut down on what you carry, and they reduce paper bulk. But you still want your brain to work independently of your gadget. Speaking of …

Image of an iPhone and an iPhone 3G by Dan Taylor from Wikimedia Commons under a Creative Commons license.
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One of the biggest problems with smartphones isn’t the annoyance and interruption factor. It’s the fact that the same gadget that keeps you in touch with people at all times can create static between you and other human beings. So, how do you stay connected without losing touch or offending someone?

If you must choose between the human and the smartphone, choose the human. Smartphones are perfect for keeping in touch with colleagues who are in offices or on campuses far away … which means you shouldn’t overuse the phone around people who are already standing right in front of you. It’s one thing ot show off a cool app or introduce a person to the “Bed Intruder Song,” but it’s quite another to engage in a texting conversation with someone far away while an actual human being is trying to talk to you.

The person who wants to talk to you will feel like he or she gets only 50% of your attention, and that’s dehumanizing. Putting a text conversation above a real conversation is also a surefire way to piss off a boss or a colleague.

Image of an iPhone from 2007 by Roguegeek from Wikimedia Commons under a Creative Commons license.
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One of the top workplace complaints is that people–especially students–are too obsessed with their gadgets. But consider your own habits before you judge others. Now even the poorest of grad students can afford some sort of smartphone plan and get in on the texting action, which means everyone runs a risk of becoming a gadget-crazed asshole. So, how do you avoid becoming the type of oblivious texthead that everyone loves to hate?

Before texting, determine what is and isn’t important. Smartphones push texts to the front of your screen so you always know what’s up. This can be a huge distraction, especially if some of your friends, relatives and colleagues have textarrhea. So, either disable the smartphone’s setting that pushes texts to the front so that you can go through your texts at your choosing, or put your smartphone out of sight if you’re in a meeting and you’re not waiting for something important to happen.

Image of a smartphone charging in its dock by Adrian Ilie from Wikimedia Commons under a Creative Commons license.
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