Flip Phones

As I have worked on the Curmudgeon Societé Generale crowd to understand and adopt new technology - and I have to be honest here as this may sound heretical - I often suggest they just get a flip phone.

You, dear readers, are no doubt aghast. "Those relics!?" you may cry. I agree - nothing makes a person look more out of touch than hauling their flip phone out while everyone around them is doing all manner of magic with their smart phones.

Ah, but there is method to my madness. Flip phones are indeed simple devices - like, essentially, phones. Uncomplicated, intuitive: flip open - phone on, flip closed - phone off.

I'm letting these folks "get their feet wet." They can say things like "call me on my cell phone" and return important calls in real time and all manner of impressive things without fussing with a pocket-sized computer that is ALSO a phone.

Some start to realize they want to do more things with their device - messaging is usually first - and the graduation to a smart phone is way smoother than taking the plunge right off. Others are fine with just packing a cell phone and don't need the added complications a smart phone entails (despite what most of us consider essential requirements of life).

They simply want a phone in their pocket - not necessarily a computer. You can pity them, but you can't blame them.