Do smartphones really help you get more done?

Filed in archive Mobility on December 24, 2009

© kalleboo


For those of us who have adopted a smart-phone lifestyle, and it is certainly a lifestyle, we like to tell others that we get "so much more done". But is that statement actually true? Or does having a smartphone actually waste your time by adding one more distraction in your life.

UK police forces have started supplying their officers with smartphones. The BBC News reported that before these magic mobile devices, cops were spending nearly half their time in department buildings (doing research, background checks etc.). Now, with smartphone access, they are spending more time on the street and less in the office. They have the ability to connect to police records and look up need-to-know information on the go which makes them almost twenty-five percent more productive.

I met with a client last Friday and she said the same thing. She is an author and speaker. She said when her husband bought her a smartphone she was angry pointing out that this was just one more gadget to take up her time and purse space. But almost a year later she told me she couldn't imagine living without one.

I'm the same way. I got to a point in my business where I actually told my partner that we need to invest in smartphones or we needed to hire a personal assistant because I couldn't keep up. I desperately need my email with me all the time, the ability to google things and maps. Not to mention being able to sync my calendars and contacts was a must-have.

However, I will say that the constant little beeping of text messages means I never have a moment's peace. I'm always connected. I was already prone to multi-tasking and now it's even worse. I have non-work related conversations in the middle of the day via text and get my social media updates mobile-ly.

So what about you? Does your smartphone help or hinder you? Go ahead and respond to our poll then tell us why!