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First of all...you are correct that this is the smartphone forum...imagine that..we are talking about smartphones. Could this move to the politics forum? sure it could but it was started in the smartphone forum as it is a smartphone topic. As i stated, this was not addressed towards you, but rather in general. I could care less how you spend your money or how you spend your time. I am simply stating the reasons why I feel smart phones are needless pieces of technology that are turning our society into a lazy, creativeless, disengaged, etc...type of environment. I am not here to slam you for using a smart phone. The topic is "I am mystified by smartphone attraction" because thank god there are still people left out there that dont see the smartphone attraction but do see the negative effects they have on society. As Michael said in a previous post. When your inside the box its hard to see whats outside of it. These phone companys lure you in until your addicted and for many its like a drug. I just dont get it. Life to me is much simpler without one. The reasons given for liking the smart phone are the very reasons I dont like them. Not trying to tell you what to do, just dont understand. Hence the topic of this thread.
First of all...you are correct that this is the smartphone forum...imagine that..we are talking about smartphones. Could this move to the politics forum? sure it could but it was started in the smartphone forum as it is a smartphone topic. As i stated, this was not addressed towards you, but rather in general. I could care less how you spend your money or how you spend your time. I am simply stating the reasons why I feel smart phones are needless pieces of technology that are turning our society into a lazy, creativeless, disengaged, etc...type of environment. I am not here to slam you for using a smart phone. The topic is "I am mystified by smartphone attraction" because thank god there are still people left out there that dont see the smartphone attraction but do see the negative effects they have on society. As Michael said in a previous post. When your inside the box its hard to see whats outside of it. These phone companys lure you in until your addicted and for many its like a drug. I just dont get it. Life to me is much simpler without one. The reasons given for liking the smart phone are the very reasons I dont like them. Not trying to tell you what to do, just dont understand. Hence the topic of this thread.
Failure to understand that others live differently is common, and the thread served to help the OP understand that others live differently from how she lives.
But, more recently the thread has turned to serve a desire to tell others how to live to meet posters' standards when no one is bothering anyone, which is a significantly different perspective from that of the OP.
Ergo the reference to P&OC. It is a political questiion when one desires to control others gratuitously.
My work blocks most internet sites. This CD forum is an exception, that may change. Anyhow, besides having a phone/text I use it at work for the internet. I sell a lot of crap on ebay and need to check my account regularly.
I dont use the GPS on it since I have an actual GPS but I do use the camera and video recorder often as well as use it for games when im on an airplane which is often. If i need to look something up, google is always sitting in my pocket. I honestly could not see myself without my phone.
You keep referring to politics...I hate politics. I dont get involved in politics and I dont feel that it is a political type of question. I am not telling others what to do, I just wish for a moment smartphone users could step outside the box and see it from another perspective. In doing so it may give you insight as to why some of us wonder what the deal is with the smartphone attraction. Thats all I would like. I tried out the whole smartphone thing and found it to be nothing but a waste of time and money. Looking around on a daily basis I feel like I am on the set of sci fi movie where these phones are controlling everyone. It disengages you from interacting with other humans and in turn does have an impact on others, like it or not. Again, if thats the way you want to live, go ahead. Just trying to find some points that the "addicted" may not be realizing. I think an episode of "Intervention" is needed. Lol
Brian, thats what I thought and then realized its not worth having to get an unlimited data plan for an extra $20 a month. Thats spending $240 dollars a year for stuff that I could do for free. Wanna trade? lol
You keep referring to politics...I hate politics. I dont get involved in politics and I dont feel that it is a political type of question. I am not telling others what to do, I just wish for a moment smartphone users could step outside the box and see it from another perspective. In doing so it may give you insight as to why some of us wonder what the deal is with the smartphone attraction. Thats all I would like. I tried out the whole smartphone thing and found it to be nothing but a waste of time and money. Looking around on a daily basis I feel like I am on the set of sci fi movie where these phones are controlling everyone. It disengages you from interacting with other humans and in turn does have an impact on others, like it or not. Again, if thats the way you want to live, go ahead. Just trying to find some points that the "addicted" may not be realizing. I think an episode of "Intervention" is needed. Lol
I think that the issue most of us here have with what you are saying is this: You assume that everyone with a smartphone acts this way, and that having a smartphone requires people to act a certain way. It's like saying that some people get addicted to prescription drugs, so anyone that takes these drugs is an addict, and you're never going to use them (even when prescribed).
For me (and lots of people like me) the smart phone allows me personal freedom and access to data that wouldn't otherwise exist. Frankly the amount of money I spend on phones is trivial compared to the benefit it provides.
It allows my clients access to me via email without me having to sit in an office.
It allows me to know within 5 minutes if there is an issue with one of my servers, without having to be in any specific place, ensuring that critical aspects of my business are performing as they should.
I have web access from anywhere so that I can handle any number of business issues that require said access.
I can remote control my own computers when out of the office, along with over 500 computers that my clients have, so that I can handle emergency situations.
I can tether my laptop to the phone and have full internet access from anywhere for more substantial work.
The ability to leave town on a Thursday morning with the family for a long weekend, and work from the passenger seat of the car instead of my office, can't have a dollar value applied to it.
On a personal level I don't use GPS Navigation (turn by turn), but I have maps of the entire world available on my phone at any time, with my exact location marked. Why in the world would I want to replace that with paper maps that cost money, and become outdated regularly.
I also don't use any social media on my phone, and probably send less than 20 text messages a year.
Skunk, If you read my earlier posts I have said that not everybody abuses smartphones and that I think they are ideal for a business man such as yourself. I think from what you described that a smartphone suits you fine. I just have no justification to own one. I got one but for what it offers, I have no need for it. I have GPS in my car, laptop at home, desktop at work, Ipod for music. I dont play games or anything like that. To me it is a complete waste. I pay extra every month to have these features that I will never use. The only thing that has come in handy is the camera and thats only because my digital cameras battery was dead.
Again, I dont have any statistics but rather a general consensus that when I go out and look around this is what I see. Not everyone but a decent amount and I am sure that you see those type of people as well and it bugs you too. So as you can see I am not targeting everyone.
I work in IT and don't own a smartphone. I have never cared for them.
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