Recently, research firm Gartner brought us the news that we have all been expecting for quite some time – that smartphone sales are now exceeding the sales of standard so-called “feature” phones. The April-June period of this year represented the first time that this has been the case, and although it was something that was inevitably going to happen, it does go a long way to actually showing our increasing reliance on the smartphones that we all carry around with us. The I Forgot My Phone video – courtesy of Charlene deGuzman – also manages to paint a pretty powerful picture of how smartphone technology has managed to become infused in our everyday existence.
The video was only published on deGuzman’s YouTube account a few days ago but has already managed to find itself with over eleven million views (at the time of writing). It stars Charlene herself playing the part of a woman going about her daily business without a smartphone on her. The purpose of the video is to highlight a growing trend of everyday life that no doubt managed to affect all of us at one point or another. It could be you who always had a phone in your hand, or it could be a loved one, family member or close friend, but the fact remains that smartphones are ever present these days in almost every aspect of our daily lives.
deGuzman’s work does a fantastic job of not only painting the main character as an increasingly isolated individual due to her not having her smartphone with her, but also of hammering home how ridiculous we can actually look when our iPhone or Galaxy S device takes over our life. Whether it be sitting at a restaurant and checking Facebook, lying in bed watching YouTube videos or checking text messages in the cinema (which is very annoying, by the way).
The debate will always remain open on whether or not this level of dependence is positive or negative, with it always coming down to personal opinion. I am extremely guilty of this type of behavior and always feel lost if I leave my iPhone or iPad at home or in the office. Always being connected has unveiled a wealth of opportunity in my professional life, and it means I can stay connected to those I love no matter where I am, but after watching this video I may just try and reign it in a little. What about you?
You can follow us on Twitter, add us to your circle on Google+ or like our Facebook page to keep yourself updated on all the latest from Microsoft, Google, Apple and the web.
