Angry (and early) Birds

I have a new alarm clock.

It's as dependable as Cal Ripken. I never have to set it, and it even tracks me down if I fell asleep on the couch.

Every morning, sometime between 7:25 and 7:30, it saunters up to my ear and goes off:

"Dad, can I play Angry Birds?"

Oh, and there's no snooze button.

I've always been hesitant to buy a smartphone, because of how it might affect my time with my family. But an inbox that was growing like mold eventually made it a necessity.

Once I had the Droid, I thought it might be fun to try that game everyone was talking about.

(Yes, I know I am late to the Angry Birds party. But in my defense, I knew who Jimmer Fredette was four years ago. How many of you Jimmer-come-latelys can say that?)

And what they said was true. Angry Birds is a fun game — and sickeningly addicting for adults and kids.

All those worries about email distracting my family? Gone. I can't even get to my email through all the bird launching.

I'd like to think that I'm still Dad and not just "the guy who has the phone." But sometimes I feel like it, especially when I come home and the first thing I hear is, "Dad, can I play Angry Birds?"

Didn't I hear that first thing this morning? And didn't you used to say "Yeah, Daddy's home!"?

That game sure can change the family dynamic.

We recently went to dinner and saw no fewer than four other families with at least one kid staring at a phone and launching birds at pigs with a slingshot. My 6-year-old even wandered over to one of them to give advice on how to pass a particular level.

Angry Birds has taught me a few things. First, that life is precious. Battery life, that is.

And second, don't ask questions you don't want the answers to. If you suspect your child loves your new phone app more than you, don't confront him about it.

One day, after my 6-year-old had asked to play Angry Birds for the 57th time, I told him in jest, "You love Angry Birds more than you love me."

He smiled one of those shy, cute kid smiles and said, "How did you know?"

At least he's a good alarm clock.

Aaron Shill is the editor of Features and Mormon Times at the Deseret News.