This week I've been asked a few times about how many games I have on my cell phone for my daughter to play. The answer is one. That one is used for unforseen circumstances, traffic jams, long lines, or running into an old friend and spending too long chatting.
I am a mom, a blogger, a networker, and an adult. That means I am on my phone a lot. All day somedays. For phone calls, Facebook (pages and personal), texting (when you're this busy sometimes it's the only way to talk to friends). I use it to keep up with weather, Twitter, emails, blogs, and lots of other things. That could be a whole post on it's own!
I'll list some of the apps I use on my phone at the end, and follow with reveiws of the ones I use most in the Product Review section this week.
What I don't use my cell phone for is a babysitter, a toy, or a boredom solution. When I was a child we read books (actual paper ones) I played with dolls and stuffed bears, and I learned how to write on paper with a pencil. I dind't dres dolls on a cell phone, but on my bed, I didn't race cars on a Nintendo DS, and when I played Ping Pong it was on a table and not a TV. Sure, I have some of those now, but I earned them when I was all grown up with a job and had already developed life skills.
Children now need to learn about technology. They will need to use computers and tablets and cell phones. Here's something people forget though, they also need to know how to answer a landline instead of just text, they need to know how to sign their name and do math in their head. They must learn respect for other people's belongings, that what you have or others have isn't as important as who you are, the difference and balance between work and play, and that some things have their use and shouldn't be abused.
We all have opinions and theories. I don't judge those who let their kids play with their phones, they shouldn't judge me because I rarely do.
Here's what I DO have on my phone: grocery lists (currently comparing apps), contacts, FaceBook (now nicely integrated), calander (of course I've an organizer for back up), weather, a few pictures, 10 songs, FaceBook Pages, library card and e-reader app to match, Cineplex Scene, Horoscope (I have to have some fun!), Princess colour, Vlingo (voice activation for my whole phone, including text and email), Lemon Wallet (great to have all my cards contained), Weebly so I can blog from anywhere, ShopWise (coupons, flyers, sales...), and local hospital wait times and contact information for local services including such numbers as poison control. Most of what is on my phone is functional and useful, with just a little fun and distraction.