I have a smartphone and I used it every day, all day. Here's why:

1. Alarm clock.
2. Weather and news
3. Music while I'm getting ready.
4. Pop-up reminders so I don't forget something before I leave the house.
5. Directions and music while driving to my destination.
6. Reading my e-book during lunch.
7. Ordering my groceries online.
8. Pulling up a recipe for dinner.
9. Casting a show to the TV to watch after dinner.
10. Googling something my husband said that I don't want to let on I didn't know the meaning of. (This happens more than I care to admit.)
11. Setting a timer so I don't burn the blueberry cobbler.
12. Looking at the stars and using the app on my phone to learn what constellation I'm looking at.
13. Playing some crossword puzzles before bed.

I've replaced an alarm clock, newspapers, cable TV, radio, post-it notes, dictionary, kitchen timer, puzzle book, book, grocery shopping, recipe book, maps, and star charts. That's pretty much an average day, minus the need for maps and star charts. So while I get it and agree that there is a danger to the overuse of certain apps available on smartphones, I think it's also usually the people who don't really use smartphones who romanticize the time before. Because honestly, they're just really, really useful.

Now, social media....that's​ the devil.