Upsides of Cellphones - Yes, There Are Some

Cellphones have become a constant in many of our lives.  They are the first thing we reach for in the morning and the last thing we put away at night.  This situation has led to plenty of complaints and worries about these devices.  However, there are upsides of cellphones we can focus on to keep that positive outlook.

Cheaper Long Distance

The ability to talk to people outside of your area code used to cost extra.  This feature could be costly.  The standard cell phone plans quickly dropped long-distance charges.  While many things have opened our ability to work remotely, that may be one of the most impactful ones.  Think about those zoom meetings if people had to pay long-distance charges in most cases.  Those daily stand-up meetings could become pretty costly throughout a few sprints.  Do not underestimate this oft-forgotten change.

Talk To Anyone Anytime

I have to admit, I use my cell phone (through my car) a lot.  It allows me to carry on informal conversations up to business meetings while traveling.  Those conversations provide me a substantial productivity boost and ability to work even during "travel days."  As a consultant, it makes it easier for me to ignore travel times as part of my job that I am comfortable billing a client as I can do "real" work during those times.

The situation where you get to a location and forget to ask someone for a list or specific piece of information is long gone.  I even hear husbands on the phone, getting a realtime grocery list from their spouse at times.  Trust me, it would be far more challenging to find a payphone and figure that out.  Yes, I did add a link in case you have no idea what that is.

Tracking and Location

The power of a GPS in your phone is often berated as a big privacy concern.  However, one of the most popular upsides of cellphones is using that feature.  We use it to reach a destination or to find something useful nearby.  It is the feature that powers services like Uber and Lyft.  Our ability to untether from land phone lines is a game-changer.  Nevertheless, a GPS in our pocket is what brings so many positives home for us.

Episode Challenge: What are your three go-to apps on your phone when you are waiting in line?

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