I was watching my favourite daytime television programme, BBC Breakfast today, when they 80% of Smartphone users check their ‘phones before brushing their teeth. When I thought about my early morning habits, it really made me giggle. My day goes something like this.

05:00 (if I’m lucky). I’ll wake up to the sound of Artemis walking around on my beside cabinet, possibly knocking things off. She’s not quiet, that one, she chats as she does this. I think it’s all part of the ploy to wake me up and give her attention. There is always a bit of conversation because she wakes up the others, as well as me. If I’m really lucky, I escape without a claw being shoved up my nose. She’s not trying to be unkind when she does that, she just wants my attention.

06:00 The first alarm goes off, so usually I start to rouse myself and grab for my….Smartphone. I like to have a little look at any e-mails that have come in over night. My next job is to check the Amazon Appstore to see what the free app of the day is, and whether it is of interest to me. If yes, I’ll download it, if not, I carry on with the rest of my day.

From here, I go downstairs to feed the girls and break up the fights that always ensue. I don’t know why, I put three bowls down as near to simultaneously as is humanly possible. Rhea usually eats in the conservatory anyway, so she’s used to be the last to get her food, but she really doesn’t mind. I know that because she told me.

Once they’re sorted I can clean my teeth and have a shower. Once I’m back upstairs to dry my hair, etc, it’s back to the technology. I do this PTC thing every day. There’s a company call youcubez, and I advertise with them, for free, in exchange for clicking on a few pretty coloured cubes. (OK, I’m not sure the whole PTC thing works well, but I can do this whilst I’m drying my hair.) If you fancy joining youcubez ,here’s my referral link:

http://www.you-cubez.com/?referer=130814

Then I check e-mails again. It’s an exciting life I lead, isn’t it?

The same piece of research said that 79% of adult Smartphone users have their ‘phones with them for 22 hours a day. (22 hours? Where are the ‘phones for the other 2 hours? I understand them being close to the bed, I do that. Is that lost 2 hours when they are in meetings and can’t have their ‘phones with them? That happens to me, especially when I’m wearing something without pockets.

What did we do before we had mobile ‘phones and computers? I can remember, as a teenager, if I wanted a boy to ‘phone me (on the one and only house ‘phone!), I’d go and have a bath. It never failed. I’d just settle down for a good soak and the ‘phone would go.

“Sue, It’s so-and-so for you!”

So I’d have to get out and get dry quickly and run downstairs. That’s better than what my friend Nicola calls “Tipsy Texting.” Now don’t try and tell me that you haven’t done it. In fact, I’ve pretended that I’ve been tipsy just to save face. That was a long time ago though, and no-one needs to know who the recipient was. He won’t read this anyway.

There is definitely something to be said for not having instant access to communication with someone. Sometimes you just need breathing time to think about what you are going to say. At least Jane Austen had the benefit of thinking it all through before she went to press.