smartphone gawpers

[Leo]

Actually I find it really makes me appreciate the pleasures of reading printed text, and not an ever-updating screen, while having a quiet pint.

i still subscribe to a lot of magazines (don't ask) and find i probably do about half my reading of them when out to lunch on my own or waiting in a pub for friends to arrive (i am habitually early).

[HMGovt]

"Google, Twitter and Facebook workers who helped make technology so addictive are disconnecting themselves from the internet. Paul Lewis reports on the Silicon Valley refuseniks alarmed by a race for human attention"

https://www.theguardian.com/technolo...P=share_btn_tw

[firefinga]

"Google, Twitter and Facebook workers who helped make technology so addictive are disconnecting themselves from the internet. Paul Lewis reports on the Silicon Valley refuseniks alarmed by a race for human attention"

https://www.theguardian.com/technolo...P=share_btn_tw

Very interesting !

[rubberdingyrapids]

Very interesting !

it is. but it is also quite convenient.
they made $$$$ from creating the applications that led to addictions (and dont kid yourself that they innocently had no clue about the apps being addicting).
now they are going to rake it in by telling us how to help cure ourselves of these addictions.
after all, who better an authority than those who made the technology, now with a money making conscience?

as much as i enjoyed the experience of temporarily not having my iPhone, i think there are lots of practical reasons why they are a good thing. when you're out and don't know the address of a restaurant, you can do a quick search to get the address, find the closest subway stop (and then check to see if there are train delays on that line) or most direct walking route, see the restaurant menu and hours of operation, etc. that's all a good thing, right? the problem is when people get obsessed with them. everything in moderation.

nothing wrong with an old fashioned pocket AtoZ.
train delays will always happen whether you are told of them in advance or not.
life is meant to be left up to chance.

[Leo]

nothing wrong with an old fashioned pocket AtoZ.
train delays will always happen whether you are told of them in advance or not.
life is meant to be left up to chance.

nothing wrong with phone books and encyclopedias either, but i'd prefer not to have to carry them around for reference.

and why wouldn't you want to know that train line A is out before you've paid your fair, when you would still have the opportunity to take train line B as an alternate means?

i get your point but from a practical purposes perspective, there are indisputable benefits to a smartphone. i still love happenstance and stumbling upon things, one does not preclude the other.

[sufi]

suspiciously social media friendly soundbite from this long article

The population of America farts about 3m times a minute. It likes things on Facebook about 4m times a minute.

https://www.economist.com/news/brief...y-social-media

[luka]

i gave my phone up in early september.

[Corpsey]

It's far too addictive, particularly Twitter (and social media in general). Must have spent six or seven hours on it today. Waste of time.

[firefinga]

Worst smartphone timewaster must be whattsap.

[Corpsey]

At least Whatsapp you're chatting with your mates.

I need to cut out these apps where I'm just getting annoyed with people I don't even know all day.

[firefinga]

I guess whatsapp is ok if you have no problems with feeding the monstrosity that is facebook

[Mr. Tea]

i gave my phone up in early september.

Between this and the booze, I give until March before you're living on moss and rainwater in a hut on a Scottish mountainside.

[luka]

it's getting that way. i quite like it.

[firefinga]

Due to a job change on my parts I am using public transport again a lot these days. The smartphone-craze at least gives me the opportunity to drop old fashioned common courtesy and politeness like saying "good morning" or "bless you" in train compartments bc everyone is endulging in his/her high tech autism via staring on their phones/having the ear plugs in and thus wouldn't hear you anyways.

[luka]

still havent replaced mine. still addicted to mindless internet browsing but now i can only do it when im at home which is a big improvement.