My phone is a pretty important part of my schedule. Whether it's about work or not, my phone's probably involved one way or another. I find it interesting how entrenched our devices have become over the years. Sure, they've always been a big part of anyone's life who needed them for business, but ever since 2007 there's been a huge overhaul to make them important to everyone. And there's no doubt that the smartphone's adoption has picked up because of this truth.

The more advanced our phones have become, the more vital they are.

This probably isn't the case for everyone, though. I know quite a few people, in fact, who just leave their phone behind sometimes. I couldn't fathom doing something like that, but they don't even give it a second thought. They have their phone on them when they need it, but while I'd be quick to say "all the time" is when I "need it," they're obviously a bit more lenient with the parameters.

There is something we have in common, though. While I may want my phone on me at all times, for a variety of reasons, and they might not care all that much, our mobile devices serve one purpose very well across the board: They help to kill time. They do it so, so well, too.

I play games on my phone quite a bit, but that's because I'm one of those people who'd call themselves a gamer. I know a lot of people who have games on their phones, the really popular ones that people talk about, but who'd never touch a controller connected to a console or computer to play a game. They've got them installed because they help waste time. Fill in the blanks, from one train to another, or while on a road trip. Or for even faster breaks, where just a handful of minutes can be better with a few matched gems.

I use games to fill in the blanks in my schedule, too. But, I also use my phone to make some quick calculations on the fly (I do this often enough that I think it constitutes killing time), read books, stay connected, and write. My phone is an important part of my every day life, but I can't deny that it also serves as a simple tool to fill in some gaps here and there. No matter how amazing our phones are now, or how great they will be, they still make useful, simple tools when they need to.

But I'm curious, how does your phone or tablet help you kill time? Let me know!