I Don't Hash-tag

The other day my 78 year old mother asked me what "hash-tag" means. I told her it has something to do with Instagram and/or Twitter, I think I was right when I spoke this. I really don't know as I do not "hash-tag", Instagram, or Tweet. I like keeping track of others and sharing and do this via Facebook (and now this blog). I have no use for other social medias, and I already waste way too much time on the one (and now this blog).

I have seen the Instagram photos shared on Facebook (the food porn, the tinted to look like all the photos in the family photo albums, and the daily selfies), followed by the dozen or so (average for some people I know) of "hash-tags", I assume linking or labeling to those that follow similar things I guess. It appears you can "hash-tag" people, places, things, actions, issues, causes, and even products or companies. I was even told that if I "hash-tag" products/companies/services in my blog that the "hash-tagged" products/company/services would ask to place their advertising on my blog, and this would lead to more recognition for me, and them, and might even lead to compensation (getting paid to blog).

But I don't "hash-tag".

One of the reasons I do not "hash-tag"is, as I said earlier, I do not use Instagram. The reason I do not use Instagram is I do not have one them "smart phones". Yep that is right, as much as I love science, technology, and gadgets, I do not have an iPhone, Android, Samsung, or Google device. Never felt that they were that necessary. My phone makes and receives calls and I can text when I need to, what else do I need? I have a laptop for everything else.

Now here is the issue I face, my current "dumb phone" is getting old (3+ years) and beat up (glued and held together with tape), although I haven't wrecked or cracked the screen. It is this way because I can't find a "dumb phone" and my provider is not carrying "dumb phone" replacements. They want to sell you a "smart phone" along with the accompanying data plan. I don't want the data plan, so I am stuck with the old down trodden "dumb phone". I would take one of the new shiny "smart phones" because I guess it would make me look cool. If they would let me have one and not get the data plan that would be great, but they want me to pay for the data plan. I don't want to pay for the data plan because....

I don't "hash-tag".

[May be I should "hash-tag" all the "smart phone" companies and providers and they would place ads on my blog and then I would make money and use that money to offset the cost of the data plans needed for a "smart phone". But then they would want me to have a niche in my blog about how great their phone and data plan are, and you know I don't niche blog....]