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Everyone has their Reasons. Just have to wonder how all those before my generation got thru their lives ... yeah I know things have changed big time.
Well, my grandmother used to wash clothes with a scrub board, the clothes still got clean so I guess following your line of reasoning there was no reason for people to buy a washing machine?
Well, my grandmother used to wash clothes with a scrub board, the clothes still got clean so I guess following your line of reasoning there was no reason for people to buy a washing machine?
Yes, but. The point is technology marches on. You’re on a computer reading this. So am I. Yours might be a desktop or laptop, and mine is a phone. My phone is also a camera, a flashlight, a calculator, a stock market news reader, and a pathway to my bank.
There is an air of “get off my lawn” on this thread. No one is forcing you to get a smart phone and start texting...but the fact of the matter is texting is a viable way to communicate. People use it, and businesses use it. It’s faster and easier. If you don’t text, you are socially isolating yourself.
The world turns, and you can turn with it or not. But not turning with it has consequences. And I will be the first to tell you you won’t know about the consequences until you update. So feel free to think I’m nuts. I didn’t text till I got my smartphone. And now I do, and I’m in contact with little family updates, like I didn’t have while my nieces and nephew were growing up.
And instead of answering my phone and talking for minutes, I get a text my car’s ready. A couple of days ago I got texts from my credit card company on a fraud alert, and a company that I purchased from that caused the fraud alert popped up. I pressed yes to clear the alert, got a text back to tell the company to run the charge, texted the company to rerun the charge, got a text back the charge went through. Not a boat load of phone calls. Like 2 minutes, most of which was waiting for texts to come back clearing everything.
I don’t need to talk to these people. I will do face to face with Raphael at the mechanics when I get there. I save phone calls for people I care about. And yes, I call my sisters on a regular basis and we spend HOURS on the phone together.
Yes, but. The point is technology marches on. You’re on a computer reading this. So am I. Yours might be a desktop or laptop, and mine is a phone. My phone is also a camera, a flashlight, a calculator, a stock market news reader, and a pathway to my bank.
There is an air of “get off my lawn” on this thread. No one is forcing you to get a smart phone and start texting...but the fact of the matter is texting is a viable way to communicate. People use it, and businesses use it. It’s faster and easier. If you don’t text, you are socially isolating yourself.
The world turns, and you can turn with it or not. But not turning with it has consequences. And I will be the first to tell you you won’t know about the consequences until you update. So feel free to think I’m nuts. I didn’t text till I got my smartphone. And now I do, and I’m in contact with little family updates, like I didn’t have while my nieces and nephew were growing up.
And instead of answering my phone and talking for minutes, I get a text my car’s ready. A couple of days ago I got texts from my credit card company on a fraud alert, and a company that I purchased from that caused the fraud alert popped up. I pressed yes to clear the alert, got a text back to tell the company to run the charge, texted the company to rerun the charge, got a text back the charge went through. Not a boat load of phone calls. Like 2 minutes, most of which was waiting for texts to come back clearing everything.
I don’t need to talk to these people. I will do face to face with Raphael at the mechanics when I get there. I save phone calls for people I care about. And yes, I call my sisters on a regular basis and we spend HOURS on the phone together.
That's all where the 50's people are, my daughter is too. Texting is big in her life. But I belong to a generation too. And I'd say MOST older generations are not out there texting, except some guy in D.C.
I never said phones couldn’t be useful. However, for some the usefulness can feed into the addiction...the need for this app or that app, the need to always check this or that, find people to text with all day, etc. So if you’re like me, you use all the useful features plus a lot more. Before you know it, you’re averaging 4 hours on the phone everyday. Is it possible I’m missing stuff in real life? Are relationships not the best they could be? Am I a little less outgoing...a little less motivated to get out in the world? A little fearful of becoming bored? Is the phone becoming a comfort blanket (like smoking a cigarette)? Are my senses and emotions dulled a bit?
Sure, not everyone has a problem or recognizes it if they do. However, for a generation who’s life has centered around technology, perhaps there are potential downsides to becoming more and more immersed the advancements?
Most of us think better technology is inherently great and synonymous with life getting better. But the “tech boom” we’ve experienced in terms of our daily lives has only been going on what 25 years? A very short period of time. Prior to that tech was in its infancy. Video game consoles were mostly a thing for kids and easily regulated by parents, some folks had a car phone with very limited minutes, walkmans, most people had no internet access at home, etc. Tech advances exponentially so while we are in awe of the benefits, perhaps we don’t have the time or desire to consider any drawbacks. I’m sorta interested in the research which looks at this.
Here’s an article talking about teen depression/suicides coninciding with increased smartphone usage/time on-line:
How can this be? Technology is all benefits with no drawbacks right? If 73% of teens had smartphones in 2015, it’s probably 85% by now. What about the negatives in the 20-35 age range where ~95% of people have smartphones?
Perhaps in 100 years people look back thinking that those people were so ennamored in new technology that they couldn’t even see what was going on.
Last edited by eddiehaskell; 12-11-2017 at 01:28 PM..
Everyone has their Reasons. Just have to wonder how all those before my generation got thru their lives ... yeah I know things have changed big time.
Well, let's see, as I will be 51 this year:
The GPS on my phone used to be paper maps. Which were a huge pain, iffy (you're not sure WHERE you are), and standard starter of fights between pilot and co-pilot in car. You just had to guess if there was traffic or not, and risk it. Now you look on your phone and it tells you.
Phone: You could only talk to someone if they were at work or home. Couldn't call to tell them you were running late, or pick up something on the way home, etc.
Email: didn't exist. If you needed to reference something you needed a paper copy instead of having everything with you all the time.
Family/spouse calendar: A hand written monstrosity on the wall, as opposed to my color coded calendar on my phone. Spouse calls and asks are we free next weekend? I can answer immediately.
Games/books: If you are stuck in line (depending on where you are could be an hour or more), tough, sit there bored, if you were well organized and KNEW you were going to be stuck a long time, you brought a book.
Learning: OMG, anything I want to know anytime, anywhere, and I can find out.
Stuck in traffic: Before you were at the mercy of whatever happened to be on the radio. Now? Audio books, podcasts, language learning... anything you have an interest in. Can do this also at the gym, cleaning house or whatever.
Travel: Wondering if flights are delayed you used to have to call and wait, now you just check online.
Lists (grocery, and other): Before you had to make sure you brought all those scraps of paper with you, because what good is a list if you can't reference it? Now, my lists are always with me, and those random times you think of something to add you can.
And yes, if I don't want to be social I can do the international symbol of Do Not Disturb: Headphones
If you have no need of a smart phone there is nothing wrong with not having one, but for a large portion of the population, it is a huge time saver.
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That's all where the 50's people are, my daughter is too. Texting is big in her life. But I belong to a generation too. And I'd say MOST older generations are not out there texting, except some guy in D.C.
I'm 71, my husband is 74, we both have smartphones and we both use them for text messages, so do most of our friends and family members who are of a similar age.
If you have no need of a smart phone there is nothing wrong with not having one, but for a large portion of the population, it is a huge time saver.
And the same useful tool can be a time waster/consumer for people like me.
BTW - anyone feel a great sense of anxiety when going somewhere and forgetting the phone? What if someone tries to text me?!? What if I get an important email?!? What if I have to wait in line with nothing to do?!?! What if I need to look something up?!?!? Damn it how could I forget my phone!?
The first part seems contradictory. You suggest people defend their "tools" as an excuse yet then say society makes it necessary.
Maybe missing the "phone experience" is precisely why so many text? Phone calls have a way of dragging out where a simple question and one sentence answer turns into additional unnecessary questions and small talk.
I was contradictory because smartphones ARE addicting. I have to have one as that is society's preferred way of communication, but now that I have one it becomes total habit to look at it during any moment of downtime. I wish I didn't have to have it but since I do it's hard to put down.
Mikala, I don't need convinced, I see it all over when I'm out. Markets, on the streets, crossing the streets etc etc I see it. One thing you don't see is say an over 70 yr old in the cross walk texting or even driving in cars. I've read or heard there are more deaths on the roads due to this ONE MORE distraction.
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