Smartphones And Stupid People

I love my smartphone. I'm actually writing this on my phone. In fact, I've written several posts on my phone. It is convenient for when I'm waiting somewhere or if I'd rather do it lying in bed. It's also handy having autocorrect fix a lot of my typographical errors. But the problem is when your smartphone makes you stupid. 

I love having autocorrect, but if I didn't already know how to spell words, it wouldn't be helpful at all. (It would be like using words out of a thesaurus without understanding how it is different from the original word. 

I know when to use commas and other punctuation. I understand grammar at a functional level. Even without my phone's assistance, I can write a perfectly accurate sentence. And even if I was lazy with things like capitalization or punctuation, I can express cogent thoughts. 

Smart phones get similar criticism for other reasons. The calculator makes lazy people justify not knowing math. The GPS makes people not learn where they live or how streets connect, let alone which places are near each other or what the truly most effective trip is. 

I think that people truly do need to know how to do things without electronic assistance. Don't give yourself that crutch and don't let it become a permanent crutch.