Smart Phone, Dumb User?

I’m going out on a limb here. Should I get an iPhone?

I’ve been weighing this question since Verizon announced it would be offering the iPhone back in February. Regardless of whether or not Apple is in my near future, what is certain is the fact that I need a new cell phone. I suppose I’m not at all embarrassed to say that I am still using my LG flip phone from 2007. It has done me well. As the day approaches where I will have to retire its 15 second video recording capabilities and slow thumb tapped out texts, the question is raised then, “Do I really need a smart phone?”

I’ve been giving it a lot of thought and I’m still firmly undecided. While it is trendy and it seems that everyone has one, if I made my decision off of that criteria alone who knows where I might end up. I’ve decided that I don’t need to be plugged in every moment of every day. What could a smart phone do for me that my home, work laptops, and regular cell phone couldn’t? Do I need to have access to everything and everyone when I can’t be at one of the two of those computers? While it would be nice to pop into my work e-mail or do some grad school reading on the way to a Phillies’ game, is it necessary? Maybe I want to leave school at school some days and enjoy 9 innings of baseball. Here is where I find my conundrum. Professionally, will it help me to always be a finger swish away? More importantly, what are the advantages as a graduate student and an educator to having a smart phone? Is there a feeling of always being on? Do the advantages far outweigh any downsides? Do I have no idea what I’m talking about, need to stop philosophizing and turn in the hunk of junk I’m using now to join those who happily swish and tap away with untold possibilities?