Dumb People & Their Smart Phones

I have the absolute best one. hands down.

So I was in a line, and I heard this lady behind me ask her friend:
"Is 'scuse me' one word or two?"

Then she said "scuse me, our friends are in front of you."
When she was in front of me, I noticed she had an iPhone. She continued to use it for the duration of the line.

You think that's bad, I've had to tell a girl before to stop texting while we were in bed. I moved into a house with some friends who don't use the internet or text much, so we have face-to-face conversations. Without that kind of interaction, I think your mind starts to get too scrambled to focus -

(and there have been studies done on the particular aspect of the internet lowering attention spans and lesser quality relationships resulting from texting and Facebook).

You have to talk with someone in person, in my opinion, to have a quality relationship with them. Trust me, a lot more information can be talked about in a minute than can be conveyed over text message in a lot of cases, and both people are forced to deal with issues that come up instead of ignoring them.

In addition, talking to someone in person allows for things like vocal inflections and body language to be taken into account.

I think it is possible that as people get older, and as technology like texting and Facebook gets older, this could be considered a fad or phase.

reply to post by Sovvy


I think it is personal preference, and there is definitely room in this world for a lot of different lifestyles. The social anxiety could be related to not having much experience socializing in person, and if you are not socializing in person, people are simply trying to reach out to you by calling you - if they can't reach you easily that way, they might give up.

I had an argument with a teen a couple years ago that really illustrates the mentality behind this.

Essentially, his claim was that dealing with people face to face was obsolete. Why would he talk and spread germs when he could instead text the person sitting next to him?

I honestly didnt know how to respond. So, maybe not so much an argument..

To me, its a bit horrifying how disconnected from reality that mentality is (in the most literal of ways).

Besides being annoying ,they also put out more radiation than regular cell phones.If I could, I would
get rid of all cell phones. They are actually killing people and unfortunately the youngest generations
use them the most.

In 2011 I had to have a Melanoma removed from my left ear that in my opinion was caused by cell phone use.
Its kind of like putting your ear in a microwave daily.

reply to post by darkbake


It differs per person and the reason they have social anxiety. For me it's more complex than the lack of socializing with people. I'm diagnosed with Asperger syndrome and a paranoid personality disorder and both aren't people friendly I spend a lot of years trying to prove I could be a 'normal' human being; going to high school, college, have jobs, leave the house, but the consequences were harsh. I don't mind people not calling out to me anymore - the people that know how my brain works know how to contact me or when I'm in the proper state of mind to accept a visit; those are friends and those matter. The rest of the world not so much.

In that sense I think stuff like computers (email, Skype), smart phones (internet / whatsapp) and tablets are great tools for people who do suffer from social anxiety or any other issue that prevents them from going out and be with people. As long as they don't stop trying to go outside that is, everything needs a middle ground, but that's my opinion.

The thing with smart phones is, is that people take it into the extreme immediately. It's like people saying: how can you sit behind your computer all day playing games? While the same people spend all their time online in one way or another with any device on social media to track what other people are doing. Everything can be given a proper place in life, but most people I come across, always go for the extreme angle immediatly, and that is the curse.

I remember seeing a picture of a line of kids, each and every one of them with their heads down texting on their phones. It was kind of sad.
My online friend says every so often that she wishes I had text function on my cell phone so we could communicate without us both having to be at home on our MSN programs at the same time. I tell you, it is definitely true that general communication methods have changed. Speaking better in the written word than out loud seems to be a common trait.

You can call me a fuddy-duddy, but it drives me up the wall when people are playing with their phones in the middle of a classroom lecture, a dark movie theater, or even a funeral. Some people just don't acknowledge that there is a time and place for everything; and these people have smart phones. It is rude, tactless, and narcissistic.

reply to post by NarcolepticBuddha

I hear your frustrations!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm in constant battle with cell phones in the classroom. The kids are addicted to texting. No matter how many times I have to tell them to put their cell phones away, five minutes later they pull it out again!! Even when you tell them to put it away, they don't put it away in their pocket, they just lay it on their desk as if to say, "ok I'm not touching it." They even think I'm blind and text with their hands under their desk. Students won't even hand over their cell phone when you ask for it, they would rather get a 1 hour after school detention than be without a cell phone during class time.

It's hard enough keeping a student's attention in class, let alone competing with the almighty cell phone. We definitely need cars that drive by themselves, because the way technology is going, we'll have more gadgets in the future that will keep people from keeping their eyes on the road.

Couldn't agree with you more...


Peace

I'm a smart phone addict, and just as anti-social as you described.

I can't help it, my brains is a sponge that wishes to absorb.

Frankly, my phones smarter than the people around me, so I pay more attention to IT, lol.

Are you sure that smart people who buy those super expensive overpriced phones and plans aren't really just as dumb?

OH I really hear what you are saying. Although I do have a mobile phone I only use it for the occasional text and keep it in case of breakdown in the car (when I remember to put it in my bag before leaving the house that is).

I do also hate the way you can be explaining something to someone or showing them a video or something to turn round and they are head down texting or playing a game on their phone or ipod. It really is rude and I never know if they are listening or taking in what I am saying. Feels like I am talking to myself.
I also hate when having a conversation with someone and their phone goes, they just have to answer it, mid sentence and all. To me you give priority to the person you are with, not the person on the other end of the phone. If you were in a meeting with your boss I am quite sure you would not be pulling out your mobile phone and answering it, or texting someone so why do it to people who are supposed to be your friends?

I have seen kids (teenagers) not just all sitting in a room whilst texting but sitting texting EACH OTHER when they are sitting right next to them!!!! That is just crazy.

The best I have seen yet is this one, makes me laugh every time:

The amount of grief I receive for refusing to use a cell phone other than for the most brief of instances is quite remarkable.

AlI I get is headache and some mutated-penis, insecure and terrified, spineless knobber, monitoring my movements and conversations.

No thanks.

I´ll speak face to face, and enjoy my time of solitude to use my brain to evolve and experience this marvelous life.

Love to you all..


xxx:

reply to post by NarcolepticBuddha


welcome to the early future, it's only the start. just wait until google releases thier AR smart goggles, and ther companies improve on the concept

Whilst I´m at it...

Make some time to watch this...



Seriously... time to wake up. This film details some of the first condemning EVIDENCE relating to over- exposure of cellphone microwave frequencies, such as "what happened to our bee´s". A must if you are still unsure.

reply to post by AuntieChrist

In my area there are plenty of "dumb" people on their cell phones - My favorite group is those that are crossing the road (often which the signal is red), while texting, and then glaring at you (whether on your bike, or driving a car), as if it's your fault when they almost get hit. My other favorite has to be watching the same group cross a multiple lane road like Gratiot Ave, while on their cell phones and not even at the crosswalk.

In fact, when I went to the local metropark in the area, someone was texting while riding a bike (no helmet or anything) - almost hit the person next to me because he was "too busy" to tell us walkers to move out of his way.

My policy regarding texting & driving is this: Pull over to the side of the road (like you're supposed to). If someone's injured or dying, then I see it as acceptable to text or call when (and only when) traffic isn't moving at a red light. As for me, I keep my phone on in the car, more for warning me when someone calls rather than answering the phone. Out of everyone in my family, I'm the only one that has no desire in texting (there's still too much of it on the roads as it is), and even if I had it - it would only be used when I'm sitting somewhere.

And speaking of dumb people - One day, coming home from work, I was in the left turn lane with a car in the straight lane next to me. How the lights work in the area is that the left turn lane goes first, then the rest of the traffic. Well, in the middle of what looked like an epic texting session, the person apparently mistook the green turn arrow for their own green light, and went full on into traffic. After getting a minor clip on the breaklight, they just kept on going (even though the car that did nothing wrong stopped).

-Fossilera

I'll offer a little different approach. I actually love smartphones, I love technology and how far it has gone in less than a decade with what we can do on a device that was originally only intended to literally talk to other people with. I am a student of engineering so... However, I cannot stand seeing everyone always on their phone. It's so annoying. You're not incorrect about the smart phones dumb people bit, it's sad actually.

I'm not going to lie. My phone has saved my behind on numerous occasions. So many useful things in one device. It truly is very useful when used for what it's made for. BUT I just can't tolerate people being more into their phone than me when we're supposed to be having human interaction. The phone is great when you're sitting somewhere bored or need or find yourself needing some random device that there's surely an app for. But it should not be your life. That's just crazy.

As a student I get that whole other people using their phones in class being annoying. It is. I'm also not a big texter. I only text when I feel it's necessary. People often get irritated with me for not responding to their pointless texts.

I will say I was like that when I first got my smart phone but it was the new thing I would never drive while texting though and you are right it is ignorant I was really bad if I can find my first bill from them I'd post it

It cost me £700 in my first month 35gb of data 94 hours of calls and 17k txts I was nearly sick but learnt my lesson I hardly use it now ( we'll im on it now for ats so kinda contradicting myself)

All the time I was on it people used to call me ignorant but now when I see other people doing it I realise what they mean smart phones are very handy and useful though i'd Still be lost without my mobile but yeah it can be annoying but people will eventually get bored of googling everything

I drove across Canada 2 years ago and got so tired of the cell ringing that when I got to my final stop I threw it over the bridge just before entering town.

Haven't looked back.

I have also hired and fired many people for using their cells at work. I tell them when I hire them that no cells are allowed while at work. One warning and then gone.

Surprising how many put their phones ahead of their job.

Peace