“There’s an app for that.”

Those words are the catchphrase for the current generation.

It’s true, there are applications for almost everything you want. You can buy a fun game that challenges what you know. You can also get an app that let’s you cheat on the game you bought. Anyone with a smartphone can choose from multiple apps for calorie counting, social networking, working out, time management or just general, daily tips.

While some people argue that all of this new technology is bad—that it makes us lazy and anti-social—I disagree.

The pre-smartphone generation of phones included applications for a calculator, a stopwatch and an alarm; and if you were lucky, you had some demo for a simple game.

These were very practical tools to have at the time; however, that calculator didn’t have trig functions. The stopwatch couldn’t run multiple tracking times at once. I could only send one text at a time, and was bound to only 50 friends within my contacts. Thanks, AT&T.

Every phone also had their own specialized charger, and every single charger was similar in color and size. I would have to dig through a drawer of tangled cords just to charge my phone.

I was lucky to get the beep version of my favorite song as a ringtone, let alone have the ability to send an email.

Some people like the simplicity of the older generation of phones. Having your music, email and phone separate means that if you lose one item, you don’t lose everything.

However, keeping track of one item is much easier than keeping track of 20. While simplicity is nice, new is fantastic.

The smartphone allows me access to my email, the Internet, weather, up-to-date news; everything else I can just Google. The capability to have all of my contacts in one phone is essential in a world where I’m constantly connected to people.

I can have text conversations at the same time as I’m talking to someone on the phone.

While I’m on the bus, I can study paperless notecards or learn to write hiragana. The possibilities are seriously never-ending. If I ran a business, I could attach a simple device to my phone and make it my credit card reader. If I’m lost, I can pull up maps and get back on track in seconds.

While I know I can live without my smartphone, it makes life so much easier.

There is only one charger. There is only one device. These tools—our smartphones—allow us to keep moving forward and utilize the possibilities in our hands. They can keep us safe and knowledgeable when used correctly.

Smartphones are an essential asset to our futures, and they’re here to stay.