I dislike this argument. I am always learning. I learn dozens of things every day from my phone. Not important things, usually, just tidbits. But I have constant knowledge at my fingertips. I tend to start conversations with "did you know..." and go from there. (It's amazing the things people know!) People come up to me and tell me that the articles and ideas I put on Facebook are the reason they still use Facebook. This would be too time-consuming without a smartphone. Having one has increased the sum knowledge in my life.

And yes, I look up. I smile at people, whether or not they're looking at me or their phone. I smile at them just because, and every great once in a while they actually see me and smile back. I like to look at weather, and changing seasons, and people, and interesting buildings, and silly signs. I love to watch the flow of traffic while I'm walking somewhere, and think about how happy I am that I'm not in it. I like to look at clothes as I walk across campus, and guess who slept through their alarm and dressed in thirty seconds. I like to start at the bases of trees and follow their trunks up and up with my head. I try to anticipate the actions of the squirrels around me -- this takes concentration.

My phone, sitting in my pocket, doesn't impede any of these hobbies. Not a single one. But when I need to know how accurate latitudinally the board game Ticket to Ride is, as I did tonight, it sure comes in handy to have a smartphone.