9 Reasons To Break Up With Your Smartphone

I don't have a smartphone. I'll give you a moment to gasp. I don't want a smartphone….**gasp**…. and I have no intuitions of getting one any time soon. James and I don't want to join the smartphone revolution. We know that it is inevitable. We know that one day there will not be an option, they will all be smartphones. But as of now, I don't want one….not one bit. I find it so freeing to not be tied to my cell phone. If you need some reasons to break up with your phone here's 9 reasons to say goodbye to "smart" and hello to freedom!

I can actually watch my kids play at the park.
I know so many moms who talk about wanting to be able to stay away from their phones so they can spend more time with their kids. It's not a temptation for me. I don't have an easy out. I don't have a way to make an easy escape away from them. I have the privilege to watch them, snuggle with them without being on my phone. It's such a relief to not be tied to my phone, and to be tied to my kids instead.
I love this website about more intentional parenting (yes, I understand the irony in reading a website about taking time off the internet to be with your kids more).

I save $150 a month. People that's $1800 a year!
James and I are actually still on our parents plan. We pay $10 a month each for our phone lines. We're good with that, they are good with that. That means we pay $240 a year on our phones, that's quite difference then $1800. That amount doesn't even include the price of phones, cases, Apps, and accessories. It's crazy what you can pay for a phone. You could use that money saved to go on a family vacation!

I don't feel the need to check my phone in the car.
Everybody knows the danger there. I have nothing to look at, so I don't feel the need to check it while I'm driving. It's true, that I don't have a GPS on  my old-school phone but I'm lucky enough to have one that I can plug into my car. It works and I get where I need to be without checking my phone.

My kids don't want to play with my phone.
They know my phone is lame, so they don't want to play with it. That means they aren't going to buy some random Apps or drop it in their bowl of cereal. They don't ask me all day if they can hold it, or look at it. I'm good with that!

On date nights we actually look at each other.

It is so sad to me when I see so many couples at a restaurant sitting in silence, heads titled down, fumbling on their phones. Tell me, what can possibly be more interesting than a human being in front of you. I get one chance on this planet to get to know people, more importantly my husband. I don't want to waste one second of our relationship acting more interested in a phone than him.

I don't freak out when I can't find my phone. 
I'll admit that this one drives James crazy. Because I'm not attached to my phone sometimes I can't find it. But it's OK to go without your phone. I'm not suffocating over the fact that I can't find it. I don't get stressed out when I drop it either. It's cheap, and it's cheap to replace it if anything does happen to it. Don't we all need one less thing to worry about? There is an actual named disorder for this; Nomophobia: the fear of losing your phone. People….seriously?!

I don't look at my phone 10,000 times a day. 
Because I don't have a fancy one, I don't even really know what's so cool about them. I'm not an idiot, I know there are hundreds of awesome things you can do with. "There's an app for that." Yes, I know about the Disney Line Time Check app (you can check current times at Disney parks). That's cool. I get it. But why do I need to check my FB account 40 times a day? I don't. I can check it on my computer at home, when I get there. I'm not so important as to need to answer emails all day. Plus, my neck doesn't hurt from being hunched over my phone all day.

I communicate with people by speaking AND looking at them.
I was sitting with a friend on my couch while our kids played in my home. I was beginning to get so frustrated as I was trying to talk to her and she was just constantly looking at her phone saying; "So sorry! I just HAVE to answer this email real quick!" or "Oh, I just HAVE to show you this pin on Pinterest!".  I have nothing on my phone that's more interesting than humans. My text message inbox fills up so fast that I don't even like to text, I'd rather just call them and speak with them

I am not bound by social media.
This is one area that is really beginning to frighten me. Social media is changing the way the world communicates, and it's scary! Cyber bullying is out of control, and there is no way to stop it. People hide behind the internet to say cruel, disgusting, and despicable things. You can comment on anything with no repercussion. You can upload and watch any video that pleases you. Terrorist groups use Twitter and YouTube to recruit mass murderers members. I am beginning to deeply loathe social media. Loathe! Yes, good things can come these outlets, but I believe much more evil is coming from it than good. I love my Facebook account as much as the next person, but I know that day will come when I will have to leave it behind. When that day comes, I will not cry over it. If you want to know about my life you can call me.

I know that there are many, many benefits that come from these phones. I know that you can do so many really cool things with them, helpful, useful things. But is saddens me to think of all the things that may be wasted because of the "cool" things the phones do. If you can't totally ditch the smartphone, maybe you can just set it aside for a while. I promise you will live without it. I do! Lets take back our families, and our future! Kiss it goodbye!