Wants vs. Needs

I've been thinking about the topic of wants vs. needs for the past month or so. Just one of the many topics that float around in my head and is now making an appearance in written form. I was reading a friend's blog about her 11 year old step-son wanting a cell phone. It brings me back to why I need an iphone.

Do I really need an iphone, or do I just want an iphone? Last summer (for the first time in 2 years) I was smart phone-less. I survived, I was disconnected, but survived. I checked my email once a day... but when you're not working, email is a social tool to keep in touch with others. Most messages didn't require an immediate response and could be responded to when I felt like it. But the downside of not having constant internet access was that when I left the house, I felt slightly nervous.

Did I have the directions of where I was going?
Did I have the meeting time accurate?
Did I have all the details that I needed?

Eventually I got used to the disconnected feeling and started to enjoy it. It was nice to not be broadcasting all of my actions all the time or feel like I had to know what was happening with the entire ad industry or tech world. I felt OK saying "No, I haven't read that article yet." I was out enjoying life and experiencing the great outdoors and not being tied to a computer or phone. It was nice... while I was unemployed.

Having been gainfully employed for the last 9 months, the thought of being disconnected again frightens me. When I lost my phone last month I wasn't sure how I would last the weekend. I only had to wait a day before Adam came up with a phone plan of using his "old" iphone until I found my phone or could replace it. Yes, in the time I waited for my used iphone to arrive from ebay, I used an old iphone. Life is tough. But, I was pretty insistent that I get another iphone because I couldn't go back to not having one again.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, I have never bought a car. I think that I need a fancy phone, but I don't think that I need to have a car. How screwed up is that?
I can bike and bus to work, it can be inconvenient at times, but its doable. Adam has a car so if I need something on weekends, I can make it work. But, I currently do have a car and I currently drive to work. Having a car gives me the same sense of freedom my iphone does. But if given a choice, I would keep the iphone instead of my car. I would rather have a device to streamline communication instead of a "device" to streamline transportation.

Clearly, I work in a communications field.