I’m old enough to remember the Zack the Legomaniac commercials, and I can honestly say that I was indeed a Legomaniac. I was comfortable with that term. Now, however, a new term supposedly defines my activities again, and I’m a little uneasy about this one. Mark Penn, author of Microtrends, has dubbed people who are contantly tethered to their smartphones as “smartphonics.” According to Penn, smartphone penetration in the U.S. is now around 18%, and is still growing. People are using their phones in new ways, in new places, and likely a lot more than they used to. The people who just cannot get enough of their phones (roughly 10% of smartphone users) are being labeled as “smartphoniacs.” The smartphoniacs are generally well-educated teens, professionals, and college students, and they all have anxiety about being disconnected.
As an owner of a Palm Pre, and previously a Treo (for two years), it is easy to see how one may become a smartphoniac. I have to keep my desire to be connected in check, and my wife has reminded me on more than one occasion that it’s not polite to be tweeting while having a conversation. I now just tweet while we watch “Dancing with the Stars.”
What about you? Do you fit the bill as a smartphoniac? Are you addicted to your phone? Does it hinder your in-person relationships? Are you taking measures to avoid having a smartphoniac attack? If you are a smartphone junkie, they say the first step in rehab is acceptance. Best of luck getting the monkey off your back. 😉
“Smartphoniacs” – the latest microtrend – WARC News – WARC.com.
I’m definitely not a smartphoniac, but I can see why people are. I think the thing that’s holding me back is that I don’t talk much on the phone, so it hasn’t been something that I’m conditioned to reach for. I do have an iPod Touch, however, and love it. I assume that this is because it “speaks” to the part of me that likes to surf the web etc. Of course, I don’t have all the bells and whistles that a smartphone has, but it’s enough for me. Then again, I seem to have the ability to leave my gadgets behind for certain times, like when we go out to eat. I can even leave them behind when I go on vacation!
Hi Gary, your discipline for parting with your gadgets it to be commended. I use my Pre more for email, texting, twitter, and web (in that order) more than I use it as a phone. I’ve never been one to talk on the phone much, but having everything tied into a phone (with data access nearly anywhere) is awesome. The iPod touch is a cool gadget, but I don’t have a wireless access point everywhere I go. I also carried two devices for a long time (cell phone and a Palm handheld PDA), but once I switched to a Treo I never looked back. They say the iPod Touch is the gateway drug to the iPhone, so be careful. Before too long you could be ponying up huge sums of money to AT&T every month. 😉 Thanks for stopping by…
Definitely guilty, especially recently after getting an iPhone. I’m learning more about how to control it, like giving my phone to my fiancee to put in her bag during dinner. I don’t feel like it’s entirely my fault, however. If I see someone else texting on their phone, I have the urge to grab mine. It’s what a friend refers to as “connectagious.” Thanks for the post/article, I’ll check it out. =]