Critics say that smartphones make people anti-social, but these devices actually improve our lives. The next time you meet a naysayer arguing that smartphones are a social detriment, remind them of these five ways smartphones make us better human beings.
Keeping Us in Touch
With nearly 3 billion people expected to be using smartphones by 2020, it’s a safe bet that everyone you know has one of these devices. That means smartphones are excellent tools for keeping in touch with one another. Of course, this applies to more than just phone calls and texts. Smartphones with video technology bring us face to face with our loved ones. Though this isn’t a substitute for being in the same room as someone, it’s a more personal way of connecting with others than by phone call.
To make the best of voice and video chat features, it’s important to use a phone with a reliable network. T-Mobile has made headlines recently for offering the fastest 4GE LTE network, outpacing Verizon and AT&T. Enjoy seamless video chatting with the Galaxy Note 8 and T-Mobile’s 4G LTE network, and stay up to date on the latest developments in your loved ones’ lives, even if you’re miles away from them.
Enabling Us to Do Nice Things for Others
With the swipe of your screen over breakfast, you can change someone’s life for the better. These are a few ways you can use your phone to show your love and support for others:
- Donate to good causes: With fundraising and support platforms such as Kickstarter, GoFundMe, and Patreon rising in popularity over the last few years, it’s become incredibly easy to back good causes via smartphone or laptop.
- Follow people you care about: Whether you’re motivated by an actor, writer, sociologist, or activist, that person likely has a social media account or two. Thanks to technology, you can follow those people, tell them that their work has inspired you, and potentially have a conversation with them.
- Sharing content: In addition to interacting with the people you admire, smartphones and social media are excellent tools for sharing content you like and helping artists get some much-needed and appreciated attention.
- Never miss another birthday or holiday: Whether you keep track of dates on social media or add birthdays to your calendar, smartphones are amazing for keeping on top of things. This is particularly helpful when it comes to remembering birthdays, holidays, and other important dates.
Improving Our Health and Well-being
Whether you’re an Apple or Android user, you have at your disposal hundreds of apps that can improve your health and well-being. Some of the most popular are fitness trackers that help you manage your caloric intake and find a healthy balance of diet and exercise. You can also download mediation apps on your phone to help you refocus and recharge whenever you’re feeling off-balance in life.
Creating and Sticking to Budgets
In the same way that smartphones can help us track what we eat, they can help us manage how we spend. Personal budget apps like You Need a Budget and Wally are excellent for daily tasks, such as tracking your income and creating a workable budget, as well as long-term financial needs, such as getting out of debt or managing a savings account.
Staying Organized and Meeting Goals
If you have any objective — where you need help managing a personal project, meeting work deadlines, or just not forgetting the groceries you need — a smartphone can help you out. Software like Asana is good for individual to-do lists and team project management, and apps like Out of Milk and Todoist can help you stay on top of daily errands.
Smartphones are fantastic tools. With a few simple rules, such as not using your phone when you’re hanging out with friends in person and taking breaks from your device every now and then, they make a net benefit on our lives. Upgrade your device to take advantage of the latest and best perks of owning a smartphone, and enjoy the various ways that technology makes us better human beings.
