How Your Cell Phone Distracts You Even When You’re Not Using It

originally posted by: DAVID64
a reply to: diggindirt

If someone wants to talk to me that bad and I'm out of the house, they know where I live. They can't claim it's all that urgent, if they're not willing to take the time to drive to my house, instead of calling me every 5 minutes.

Exactly!
I'm trying to promote compassion and tolerance for those of us who don't feel the need of an electronic leash. Those of us who want to be, and to do a bit of mucking about in the yard without interruption. We might want to sit on the porch and watch the falling stars and not be answering the phone at midnight.
I'm begging people to overlook those of us who don't put our lives on public domain social media sites, nor do we follow the lives of others on those sites. Please don't abuse those who refuse your leases.

I have a phone for business and family usage mostly. We quit the land line service during the recession. No need for so many phones and payments. I keep mine in my purse and at first it was a struggle to remember to plug it in and charge it up. Teenagers and young children use their phones for entertainment mostly. I do see a need for some new phone etiquette rules. Such as: no phones at the dinner table or out at restaurants. Don't call or text people after 9 pm or before 8 am. One teenager at my home had a some girl calling and texting 24/7 it was rude. There should be rules about photographing people, such as asking first. Definitely ask people before you post their image to social media. My Aunt in her 70s was rude about this sending photos everywhere of everybody. My mother in law was doing this too, she always felt the need to display our private lives. My mother in law was also using voice mail to commit me to her manipulative plans. I had to ignore some of her calls to get this point across in a peaceful way. I had to finally tell her I don't feel like talking on the phone unless it was a critically important situation. She and her daughter are completely codependent on each other at 74 and 42 years old, calling every twenty minutes. Ridiculous!

On the other hand phones with GPS and internet service help a person on a trip find their way. I am not a big phone person and I really enjoy my privacy, peace, and quite. Its an over crowded competitive society where any privacy and peace is special and almost unattainable. Leaving the phone in your car while at someone's house or the movies is wise.

The criminals have figured out how to use the phones for credit card scams. Photographing people's credit cards, texting the photo to who knows, anywhere on the planet. In France, at restaurants they come to your table and scan the card right in front of you so you know where your card is and what is happening. They also use a puce chip in the credit card. Smart people. We have to put some limits on these new technologies to have a sane quality of life. Who knows who is watching that I cloud information anyways? The phones feel like a dog collar and we are all on a short leash. We need to get that leash back in our hands.

I'm beginning to despise the damn things..

I mean it's not my business what you do with it, and if were hanging out i don't mind if you text once in a while or answer a call.

But i know a lot of addicts, they come over.. and they whip out there phone as soon as they get comfy and.. they just don't put it down. Why even visit if all you do is watch videos / check the news / text?
My still sane friends and i just laugh at them but we're becoming the minority.

I'm such a grandpa, but it's just not healthy anymore.. they think they're being social but in reality their social skills are declining rapidly.
Most of the time i have to repeat myself twice before they even respond.. now i'm like.. why bother? Guess i need some new friends.

It's a brave new world out there folks. Society is changing and smart phones are causing it. You can either like it or get out of the way.

a reply to: Krazysh0t

Oh i'll gladly get out of the way.
I'm perfectly fine watching the madness ensue from the sidelines, i just need some popcorn and a comfy seat.
Besides, it's where all the goodguys 'll be.. maybe we can form our own little society.. do things a little differently

a reply to: Skaffa

With the rate that the world is getting more and more connected and the fact that there are no new places to go live, your group will die out within a generation or two. That is unless we miraculously colonize another planet in that time frame, but I wouldn't count on it.

a reply to: Krazysh0t

No new places? Plenty of places!

The world is not as overpopulated as some would have you think..

We just use too much resources.

I was merely joking tho. I'm in too deep already.. too dependent, there's no going back for me.

originally posted by: Skaffa
a reply to: Krazysh0t

No new places? Plenty of places!

The world is not as overpopulated as some would have you think..

Yes and all those places are gaining cell phone coverage. Coverage increases daily. There will come a time where no point on the planet is free from coverage and therefore everyone will have smart phones. It will happen in our lifetime too. Did you know Google is starting a project to bring internet coverage to the third world?

We just use too much resources.

I was merely joking tho. I'm in too deep already.. too dependent, there's no going back for me.

You and the rest of society. This is why it eludes we why people on this website wish for the shtf so much. In a real world disaster scenario, much of society won't be able to take it and no amount of planning is going to save you from it. It is impossible to guess how society would react outside of doing the absolute worst to each other until some semblance of order can be restored.

a reply to: JimNasium

I agree, and I'm sure more than a few of those whispered phone calls were drug-induced paranoia. The times in which my cell phone is dead are the best. I usually take my time with charging it. It can be a life-saver when you can't lug a book around, or you are in an emergency. I'm way happier with face to face interactions.

The worst offender when it comes to phones? Texting. Talk about an informal, cold, crap way to communicate.

originally posted by: Krazysh0t
Yes and all those places are gaining cell phone coverage. Coverage increases daily. There will come a time where no point on the planet is free from coverage and therefore everyone will have smart phones. It will happen in our lifetime too. Did you know Google is starting a project to bring internet coverage to the third world?

I'm not complaining, coverage is a good thing.
I'm simply against the way we deal with technology,
how it is starting to assimilate us instead of the other way around.
How we act like it's the best thing ever without even noticing the drawbacks.

You and the rest of society. This is why it eludes we why people on this website wish for the shtf so much. In a real world disaster scenario, much of society won't be able to take it and no amount of planning is going to save you from it. It is impossible to guess how society would react outside of doing the absolute worst to each other until some semblance of order can be restored.

That's what i'm getting at. We've all become so dependent on technology, and so weak without it, it's only a matter of time before we will see how much it has actually cost us.
Still, i've been wondering how we would really react.. Like complete animals as in the movies and psyops, or would we still keep some of our humanity and start to cooperate after the initial panic and looting? Would we start farms together or would we actually blow each others brains out as soon as we get the chance? I'll guess we'll be seeing both.

And yea i can't stand the people actually looking forward to riots and hell breaking loose, the reality of it won't be as pretty as they envision it and these are probably the ones who will cause problems in this scenario.

originally posted by: Skaffa

I'm not complaining, coverage is a good thing.
I'm simply against the way we deal with technology,
how it is starting to assimilate us instead of the other way around.
How we act like it's the best thing ever without even noticing the drawbacks.

Like it or not, it is becoming part of the human experience. It's neither a positive nor a negative thing. It just is.

That's what i'm getting at. We've all become so dependent on technology, and so weak without it, it's only a matter of time before we will see how much it has actually cost us.
Still, i've been wondering how we would really react.. Like complete animals as in the movies and psyops, or would we still keep some of our humanity and start to cooperate after the initial panic and looting? Would we start farms together or would we actually blow each others brains out as soon as we get the chance? I'll guess we'll be seeing both.

My guess would be a mixture of both Hollywood and positive thinking. Lawlessness will be rampant, but eventually humans will get back together and stable societies will reemerge. The length this takes is largely dependent on how badly the s# hits the fan.

And yea i can't stand the people actually looking forward to riots and hell breaking loose, the reality of it won't be as pretty as they envision it and these are probably the ones who will cause problems in this scenario.

I see them as more along the lines as armchair warriors who talk a big game about being able to kill indiscriminately if the need should arise, but faced with reality would turn into a puddle of piss at the slightest hint of danger. We had a few of them in my unit while I was in the Army. It's funny how fast they run off to the doctors to get diagnosed with some ailment to keep them stateside or do something to get them out as soon as the shadow of deployment looms over their heads. My guess is that a lot of these types leave the military and become "preppers" or doom porners who try to back up their tough guy speech with, "I was in the military so I know I can handle it..." or something of the sort.

a reply to: Krazysh0t

Like it or not, it is becoming part of the human experience. It's neither a positive nor a negative thing. It just is.

I don't know, that might be a dangerous mindset.
You can't possibly deny that some things can be viewed as or are in fact negative.
Maybe this is not something to be apathetic about, maybe we should be more watchful.

Technology COULD be the best thing ever, but it really needs proper guidance,
because it could also bite us in the a%se quite firmly.

a reply to: Skaffa

Technology is just a tool we use to make our lives easier. The only way it will bite us in the ass is if we let it.

a reply to: Krazysh0t

We will, and we have.

It doesn't just make things easier, it has completely and permanently changed our lives and ourselves.
On top of that it also makes things more complex and it almost always introduces more problems than we started out with sooner or later.. because we tend to think short term.

I'm pro technology.. I am, but it has already become bigger than ourselves and out of the common man's control.

It is no longer a tool, it's an organism.
Let's keep it leashed is what i'm trying to say.

originally posted by: Skaffa
a reply to: Krazysh0t

We will, and we have.

Remains to be seen. This just looks like a fear of change to me.

It doesn't just make things easier, it has completely and permanently changed our lives and ourselves.
On top of that it also makes things more complex and it almost always introduces more problems than we started out with sooner or later.. because we tend to think short term.

I already said that it has become part of the human experience. But you are trying to position this like it is a positive or a negative. It isn't either of those things. Humans are just changing the way they interact with each other, and you see that as a problem because you like the old way better. Fear of change.

I'm pro technology.. I am, but it has already become bigger than ourselves and out of the common man's control.

So?

It is no longer a tool, it's an organism.
Let's keep it leashed is what i'm trying to say.

I have some interesting thoughts on what will happen when technological evolution, social evolution and biological evolution eventually clash and come together. It will be wild. Maybe I should make a thread about it. Very hypothetical, but I back it up with trends and data. The long story is that we are birthing a world wide organism where WE, the humans, make up the neurons of its brain. Once all people are connected 24/7 and all differences have been eliminated, we will all think alike creating a giant super organism fueled by a hive mind. It will be glorious (a new step in evolution that effectively combines the NWO conspiracy along with the New Agers conspiracy). There is no preventing it either, all dissent will be bred out over the generations. Like I said, you are a dying breed.

a reply to: Krazysh0t

And i guess you see that as neither a good nor a bad thing? Nice talking to ya.. Have fun being an insect.

As for me.. i like us as individuals, and i think variety is actually a necessary part of how we grow as a species.
But it doesn't matter how i defend the human experience as it is, since the hypothetical hive mind would conquer all problems right?

Maybe i am scared of change, but in this instance i'm quite sure i have got good reasons for that.
We're seeing the birth of something that will restructure everything from the ground up.
I used to be excited about this, but after i have noticed the way most people simply seek to be exploited and manipulated, i now see it as something that will.. at first.. exacerbate this phenomenon to unimaginable heights.. or should i say lows.
We will be smack dab in the middle of the growing pains, and it won't be a pretty picture.

I'd rather die as i am.. a human and proud of it, than continue as a barely living experiment afraid of its own essence.

We're isolating ourselves from nature and the effects are already becoming increasingly apparent.
We shouldn't be scared of nature, we ARE nature, we should be embracing it, moving closer to it instead of finding ways to cheat it.
This technology could make things ''easier'' in the end, but the hard way has always been more rewarding anyway.

originally posted by: Skaffa
a reply to: Krazysh0t

And i guess you see that as neither a good nor a bad thing? Nice talking to ya.. Have fun being an insect.

Of course not. It is just a result of our interaction between ourselves. Why should such a thing be bad or good? Do you consider evolution bad or good? Because that is all this is.

As for me.. i like us as individuals, and i think variety is actually a necessary part of how we grow as a species.
But it doesn't matter how i defend the human experience as it is, since the hypothetical hive mind would conquer all problems right?

How should I know? I'm just speaking my opinion on the end result of technology and the desire to homogenize everything.

Maybe i am scared of change, but in this instance i'm quite sure i have got good reasons for that.
We're seeing the birth of something that will restructure everything from the ground up.
I used to be excited about this, but after i have noticed the way most people simply seek to be exploited and manipulated, i now see it as something that will.. at first.. exacerbate this phenomenon to unimaginable heights.. or should i say lows.
We will be smack dab in the middle of the growing pains, and it won't be a pretty picture.

That's fine, you will die and the next generation will be slightly more alright with the way things are going. Then the next one will be more in line with it and so on and so forth. You can keep your individuality, it won't change anything.

I'd rather die as i am.. a human and proud of it, than continue as a barely living experiment afraid of its own essence.

That's cool. You are already contributing to it though. Whether you are on a cell phone or not is irrelevant. You are on the internet. The internet has already started to birth hive minds in the way that we socially shame people into compliance (for example: race accusations). You can't fight it and unless you completely shuck all communication technology, you are fueling it. Good luck with that.

a reply to: Krazysh0t

Why should such a thing be bad or good? Do you consider evolution bad or good? Because that is all this is.

I start taking good / bad into account as soon as we're dealing with things within our range of influence, that might influence other people in a good / bad way.
We will be at the forefront of this evolution, it is still within our control to some extent, and thus we should take its consequences into consideration.
Should i tell myself ''murdering children isn't good or bad, it just is''.. and proceed murdering children?
Humans have moral values for a reason, telling them to forget about these values saying '''it is what it is'' does not make sense when WE decide how it is.

Evolution isn't good / bad it is a mixture of both like everything else, but i am not smart enough to question its ways.

That's fine, you will die and the next generation will be slightly more alright with the way things are going. Then the next one will be more in line with it and so on and so forth. You can keep your individuality, it won't change anything.

I do not care as much about my own individuality as i care about the individuality of ALL human beings in the future of humanity.

If they want to ''merge'' that's fine with me. I just want to make sure they will have a choice.

That's cool. You are already contributing to it though. Whether you are on a cell phone or not is irrelevant. You are on the internet. The internet has already started to birth hive minds in the way that we socially shame people into compliance (for example: race accusations). You can't fight it and unless you completely shuck all communication technology, you are fueling it. Good luck with that.

There is truth in this, but there will come a point where i draw a line.
As soon as we start incorporating technology for purposes other than common medicine / health into our bodies i will stay behind.

a reply to: Krazysh0t

I read a report that the low tech class of people were in danger of being taken over by the high tech class of people ,Put this together with the info that cell towers operate at brain frequencies and they are using artificial stimulus environments to change important decisions in ones life with a simple beep or ring tone ,and remote nuriphone environments, and , and, and ......It is very apparent to me as an electronic engineer that we and free thought are in grave DANGER from the twisted fantasies of the people that rule over this naive world.

originally posted by: Skaffa
I start taking good / bad into account as soon as we're dealing with things within our range of influence, that might influence other people in a good / bad way.
We will be at the forefront of this evolution, it is still within our control to some extent, and thus we should take its consequences into consideration.
Should i tell myself ''murdering children isn't good or bad, it just is''.. and proceed murdering children?
Humans have moral values for a reason, telling them to forget about these values saying '''it is what it is'' does not make sense when WE decide how it is.

Alright. If you want to fight it, then go ahead. But go ahead and stop all posting on the internet, and you better encourage everyone else to do it as well, because your sole opinion is insignificant in the face of popular opinion, so your idea needs to go viral to enact any change. Good luck. Though I won't hold my breath that you'll succeed.

Evolution isn't good / bad it is a mixture of both like everything else, but i am not smart enough to question its ways.

Actually there is no such thing as "good" or "bad". Things just are. Humans invent their own morality, but in the grand scheme of things everything we do on this planet is insignificant. Our entire planet could be wiped out tomorrow by a gamma ray burst, and the universe wouldn't even notice.

I do not care as much about my own individuality as i care about the individuality of ALL human beings in the future of humanity.

If they want to ''merge'' that's fine with me. I just want to make sure they will have a choice.

They've already made the decision.

There is truth in this, but there will come a point where i draw a line.
As soon as we start incorporating technology for purposes other than common medicine / health into our bodies i will stay behind.

And you will fall behind. No big deal, you are free to live your life out behind, but the next generation will be THAT much more ok with it all. Then the next and so forth.