I Finally Crossed Over to the Dark Side

I crossed over to the dark side: last weekend I got a smartphone for the first time. The main three reasons were that my old phone was slowly going under, we wanted a phone plan that was less expensive than the one we have now, and I really wanted GPS so that I can stop getting lost all the freaking time. Yes, I get lost that much. Stick me in a forest and I'll find my way out, but put me in a car and I'll lose myself in my own neighborhood.

This week has been full of transitions to the pros and cons of having a smartphone. It definitely makes me feel like an idiot; I've never been good with technology, and I've already made many goofy spelling errors with my texting (despite auto-correct). That and a little boy already told me that I looked like his grandmother when she got her new phone. Tech-challenged, much? Yes. That's me.

One of the surprising benefits, however, has been discovering Instagram. Because it's late right now on Thursday night and I'm supposed to be either folding the eight piles of clean laundry on my couch or writing my NaNoWriMo novel, I'm going to make this short and sweet by just writing a list of things I love about Instagram:

~ It is for sharing just pictures. Obviously. But this was the main reason I initially liked Facebook, because I love seeing small moments in people's lives, enjoying the beauty that my friends could capture in a photograph. Now Instagram is like Facebook pictures without all the political junk, advertisements, arguments, and craziness that Facebook has become!

~ With pictures come stories, some that you can see, some that you can only imagine. A picture is truly worth a thousand words! Most folks only post a snippet of a caption for their pictures, some refer you back to online posts if you're interested in reading more, which is great. It's short and sweet.

~ I am able to share snapshots of what I love or find interesting with others who hopefully see it the same way. There is connection, community, in sharing, just as with any other social network.

~ For the first time, I have a camera that doesn't take fifteen seconds to turn on, focus, and hope that the picture won't come out blurry because someone moved a tiny bit. This has been GREAT. Finally able to take candid shots! (Yeah, not really a reason to like Instagram, but a big reason I'm liking my phone.)

~ I am spending WAY less time on Facebook because I only check Instagram out if I have a spare moment. Since it's an app on my phone, that could be anytime, and it only takes a few seconds. Facebook is a time-sucker because I will go on for a minute, telling myself that I'm just going to check something quickly, and then spend the next half hour scrolling through the feed to read ALL THE THINGZ!!! I hate wasting my time for so long on something like this but it's easy to lose track of how long you're on it. And yes, I'm trying to make sure that I'm not getting hooked onto always checking my phone, too, especially when I'm with friends or family. 

~ I have been inspired so much by the creativity I see in many peoples' photos. They help me see the world again with new eyes, and I view my own life with love as I soak in the moments. 

~ Right now I'm participating in taking a photo a day with others under #thedailybon. You can read more about it here! I'm also going to be documenting my pictures from the December Photo Project, which I did in 2012 and 2013, on Instagram this year. It will be MUCH easier to take and share photos on my phone.

If you'd like to join me on Instagram, you can find me at lyssagirlloveslife : )