Sick of everyone stuck on phones?

via4

Patww79 wrote: »

What exactly is the difference between reading your phone and reading a book, apart from thinking it's more high brow?

When I'm on my phone I go on instagram and just mess about on it not being productive. When I read I feel at least I'm doing something better with my time that's all.

The fact this thread is tredning on the front page of this site, despite being posted in an obscure subforum, says something - a lot of people must feel the same way and clicked on the thread to read it.

I'm 27 and I completely agree with you. When I'm on a bus and I see everyone just looking at their phone, it's hard to explain fully why but it just annoys me so much. There was never a time when strangers all sat and chatted to each other wilfully and happily on public transport or elsewhere, but the image of everyone on their individual little device, self-absorbed, usually with their much vainer levels of grooming than in the past (ultimately the product of social media existing) is something that jars with me. The world is so so different now than it was in 2005, a time when phones existed, so it's not the existence of mobile phones outright, but the existence of smartphones, social media and fast internet. The days when phones existed but before fast internet seemed like a sweet-spot technology wise - the convenience of being able to contact friends and organise things without spending hours on the internet per day. Then again, that's as far back as I can really remember so maybe things were even better overall in the slower days before mobiles when you'd arrange to meet someone somewhere and you would both just have to show up.

People don't use their imagination as much anymore because during those times when, in the past, they would have sat and daydreamed, reflected, planned etc. they now just open their smartphone when they feel the slightest bit bored, awkward, etc. and are engaged with that instead of processing their thoughts. All else being equal this must be the case.

Smartphones and other technology have spoiled us hugely in a sense. We have so much access to information, entertainment and such that it is understandbale that kids will want to use ipads etc. instead of playing - I know for a fact if I was a young kid growing up today I would have loved having the technology they have. I think the problems surface as the kids get a bit older, maybe 10 and up - social-media induced jealousy,inferiority, depression, cyberbullying, too much access to information, wasting their youths on a device, growing up too fast in relation to sex etc.

It's all sad to see in my opinion, the speeding up of life, increasing pace of change, nothing left to the imagination anymore, bombardment of information, constant engagement with others, having in your mind information about the lives of people you otherwise long would have forgotten, apps like tinder changing the dynamics of how young men and women behave and so on.. It's clear this technology hasn't made people happier either.

Also, as regarding virtual reality as one poster mentioned - god help us. Does anyone *really* want this? Like, we're all going to be forced to live in a word with VR just because some scientists wanted high social status and developed this technology to attain it. Like, Bravo lads but you're actually decreasing our living standards ..

zeebre12

Its not specific phones. Its only in the last few years with social media and fast internet that everyone is stuck on phones. Years ago when mobiles existed people wernt absorbed and stuck on them every few minutes. Even when my brother comes homes from college for the weekend he spends most of the time on the phone. Its smart phones and technology. 10/15 years ago people were not stuck on social media every 5 minutes. It is really sad how times have gone

zeebre12

NIMAN wrote: »

I found myself agreeing with you....right up until you mentioned you heard on the Ray D'Arcy Show.

You sir are the problem!

But seriously, you are right. Its the norm unfortunately. I'm glad I did all my socialising in a time when people didn't have phones, and had to speak to each other.

I was in the real world in the living room with my parents and it was on TV

zeebre12

the_syco wrote: »

Sounds like people would rather look at their phone than talk to you?


Just don't get into a car accident, or no ambulance will ever get called for you... oh, and ensure no-one within a 50 meter radius of you needs to talk to the Samaritans, ring the police, or any of the other emergency services; because you want to be a killjoy!

You see nothing wrong with a family dynamic like this everyone stuck on there phones for the evening. Its just the way the world is gone. You get a few words out of them but they are so absorbed into their smart phones they wouldnt realise if the house was on fire. And they would talk to me if I met them out somewhere and they were not stuck on technology. Its sad how the world is gone

languagenerd

tomwaterford wrote: »

Is it any different than when people used bring a book/magazine/paper to read long ago??

On public transport, no. In other situations though, it would be extremely rude to take out your book or magazine, but we now think nothing of whipping the phone out. If someone came to your house for a party/dinner and sat there reading a book, or asked you for a stack of magazines or sth, you'd more than likely be insulted - but everyone does it with their phone now. You wouldn't take out a book or paper or a games console in the pub with your friends, but we all take out our phones. I know people who think nothing of reading long articles or blogposts when they're sitting beside friends in a bar or restaurant. It is affecting human interaction in those situations.

Like another poster, I also definitely overuse my phone at home as well and, while it doesn't affect anyone but me, I think it is lowering my quality of life. Scrolling aimlessly through Twitter (dangerous because you never get to the bottom of the feed), Instagram, news sites, boards, Facebook, emails... and suddenly an hour has passed. I am trying to cut back, but is hard when everyone's online - you never know when you might get a notification.

The technology is amazing, but I don't know if we're prepared for the more negative consequences.

Yourself isit

tomwaterford wrote: »

Tbh id rather be msging my friends on snapchat/whatsapp or reading something interesting on public transprt than be engaging in pointless small talk about the weather etc



Is it any different than when people used bring a book/magazine/paper to read long ago??

No difference. In fact I tend to read books or a newspaper on my phone.

In social occasions it's annoying when people use their phone of course. It's like reading a newspaper when someone is talking to you.

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

stevek93

I'm guilty of it big time. Lucky I was born in early 90s so most of my childhood was outdoors. God help kids now who are glued to their devices and don't know any better.