I’m thinking that I might finally give in and get a Blackberry, especially since this Storm does everything any user could possibly ever want AND it remains on the Verizon network. The phone itself won’t be too expensive, especially because it’s been three years since my last new device. I wonder how it’s going to do in comparison to the iPhone – both seem to have international usage capabilities, GPS, cameras, touchscreens.

The question is – is it worth the monthly data plan fee? And discounting the fee, what about the Blackberry addiction syndromes? I know that even my own mother – who, though I love her, is not typically the most technologically apt person – can’t go more than a few minutes without pulling out her 8830, where she can constantly check her e-mails and send text messages to her children. What about my college-age brother and cousins? Blackberries seem to be one of the more popular accessories among America’s elite college students, but I’ve seen these family members of mine so captivated by their devices that they couldn’t keep up with a normal conversation. Or how about on Passover, when these very same family members were BBM-ing each other from across the dining room table? At least it wasn’t Yom Kippur…

After much debate, I’m pretty sure I’ll end up getting that phone. But I’m going to need to put myself on a diet of sorts – no Blackberry overindulgence, and maintain face-to-face and voice-to-voice contact with all the people I care about. And that is my vow.