Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
It's ridiculous if you haven't noticed. Why are people so attached to these small pieces of plastic? It's taking away from interaction and turning people into robots. People are way too attached and need to start taking responsibility and interacting. It effects family life and everyday living. People are way to addicted and companies are profiting from people. They feel like they must have every new thing that comes out and are taking advantage of people. I may not know these people but I care about them. There is no need to become addicted to them. I recently went out to dinner with my family. The family at the next table over had just received their food. But they had little interest in the food and all had their phones out and staring at the screen. On top of that all they also had a son who looked no older than 2 and he also had a smartphone in his face. I couldn't believe it. I guess it also effects family life. Maybe I just don't understand can someone explain this to me.
While I'm addicted to mine for the commute (texting & Facebook) and when I'm waiting in say, a doctor's office, I put it away when I'm face to face with people. Unless it's to show someone a photo or a funny post on Facebook. If for some reason, I'm expecting a call I need to take for some reason (very rare), I let the person know in advance. Then when the call comes, I say, "sorry I have to take this" and briefly excuse myself so as not to disrupt the conversation. If excusing myself is impossible (say I'm in a car or on a bus), I try to keep the call brief and at a low volume so as not to be disruptive.
But I know what you mean. What really irks me is when someone takes a call and expects the people interacting face to face to be quiet so they can hear the call. One woman I know did this in the middle of a social gathering on a patio. She was screaming at her kid. So not only did the rest of us have to hear it, we couldn't even pretend to ignore it by talking amongst ourselves because she told us to keep it down. Btw, there was a whole house with no one in it (we were all outside) she could have excused herself to if it was urgent. She did the same thing in the car as well.
I commute and there are regulars on the route. Some of us have become friendly and will chat on the bus. One woman often takes calls. She did this while 3 of us were chatting. The other woman and I continued chatting. The one on the phone made it clear from gestures, etc. that she couldn't hear well with us chatting. So the other woman stopped the conversation. Personally, my opinion is if you're going to take calls during a face to face conversation, you're the one who should move to another spot, not the people already engaged in conversation. Unless it's an emergency, such as someone's in the hospital and someone's calling with more details, I find it rude, obnoxious & disruptive to expect face to face people to inconvenience themselves for a cell phone call.
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
24,544 posts, read 56,087,446 times
Reputation: 11862
A lot of socialisation has been moved into the virtual realm. A lot of Life in general, has. It has it's benefits but I just wish it wasn't quite so EXTREME. I think a lot of it is self-publicity, like those who post 20 facebook updates a day, let alone twitter. This generation is also good at multitasking and has a short attention span.
A lot of socialisation has been moved into the virtual realm. A lot of Life in general, has. It has it's benefits but I just wish it wasn't quite so EXTREME. I think a lot of it is self-publicity, like those who post 20 facebook updates a day, let alone twitter. This generation is also good at multitasking and has a short attention span.
I think it's got its pros & cons. Facebook, for example, has allowed me to get to know some people better than I knew them in high school. A combination of shyness and social anxiety limited how well I got to know most people back then. I still live in the area where I went to high school, so I've gone to some gatherings organized via Facebook. I still have social anxiety, so I found being able to refer to things people posted made it easier for me to talk with people. One former classmate posts her Sunday dinner for her family. So I was able to make small talk about cooking which led to some conversation. I've developed some acquaintancehips out of it and a couple of friendships. One former classmate joked he heard more from me on Facebook than he did the entire time he knew me from elemementary school through high school!
I've also had the chance to get to know some relatives I didn't get to know growing up due to various estrangements (most initiated by my mother). It's supplemented the in person visits & telephone calls.
Another thing I like about it is the spontaneity. I can post a photo of a really nice sunset or make a silly observation and hear from family and friends. I might not feel those were important enough to call about or email. So they can generate contact which otherwise wouldn't happen
But if people are ignoring the people in front of them to check out what's going on in Facebook, then I think that detracts from social interaction.
Some younger people will come over to visit me. Then for most of the time they are "visiting me", they are on their cell phone texting! I spend a LOT of time watching them use their cell phone. They don't "get it" that they are being rude.
I think I'll start inviting people over with the following: "Would you like to come over and text on your cell phone while I watch?"
I put this behavior in the same category as going to a bar and watching TV there - not talking to anyone else. Why go to the bar? Why not just stay home?
Also with texting, other people can't "overhear" what is being said. The conversation can be kept totally secret. I grew up with regular phones and it was quite common for a friend or someone in the family to overhear another person having a problem of some sort. Then questions would be asked. The person would wind up talking about it. Sometimes resolving an issue or feeling a bit better "getting it off their chest".
So I wonder if this secrecy will lead to new problems with society?
Not all, but there are many who are conjoined to their cell phone because they believe it makes them appear 'in'. For others, it just a means of communication.
I have seen teens walking down the street together (maybe two or three at a time), and each is either talking on a cell phone or texting as they walk. One was so busy texting she nearly walked into a light pole.
As far as FaceBook, to many it's a means of socializing, and for some it really is an addiction.
To each their own I always say. But I do agree that overuse can be very rude when people are together and instead of face-to-face interaction, one is constantly talking on a cell phone or texting.
Keep in mind that the boys and girls down on Madison Avenue have waged an effective consumerism war with the American people. For nearly a century, Madison Avenue has grown, learned, and effectively created markets where none would normally exist.
Considering the amount of resources Madison Avenue wields against John Q. Public, and how we’re bombarded with advertising campaigns designed by some of the brightest people in the world using all sorts of seedy methods, is it any wonder why ordinary people are so caught up in cell phones, facebook, and all that consumerism entails. It’s really not their fault. Some rather influential and powerful factions have duped them into their mania, so most of the culpability lies on Madison Avenue.
I've literally had kids begin to cry if I have to take their cell phones if they're using them in class (and I'm fairly lenient, I'll tell them a couple times to put it away before it goes in my desk for the duration of class and I don't make it cululative, each day is a new day).
One girl last year not only started to cry after a few minutes she started out with the shakes at about minute 5 and then started to cry.
Good post. I agree with you. And we thought the television was the devil
Its mostly entertainment factor & wide variety of info available online that keeps people of all age groups hooked up. I dont mind if i am waiting alone somewhere & use my cell to keep myself occupied. But if I am out with family or friends I would love to talk & pay attention to others. Its upto the parents to set ground rules. If parents are addicted too, then how can we blame the kids?
A lot of socialisation has been moved into the virtual realm. A lot of Life in general, has. It has it's benefits but I just wish it wasn't quite so EXTREME.
Good point, and interesting discussion. Reminds me of book I read (and took notes on), though it's about our relationship with the internet & technology overall, not only social media:
"Hamlet's Blackberry: A Practical Philosophy For Building A Good Life In The Digital Age"
by William Powers, 2010.
Excerpted quotes (I boldfaced few lines for emphasis)-
pg.54: "The gadgets and brand names change over time, but the tendency remains the same: away from the few and the near, toward the many and the far. Parents, the magazine [Time] concluded, should teach their kids 'that there's life beyond the screen'. In fact, most parents don't need to be told that, and many have been trying for years. They aren't having much success because our thinking has never gotten beyond the vague notion that 'there's life' of some unspecified sort out there that's good for you, kid, trust us, and you'd better go find some now. This is the old eat-your-brussels-sprouts argument that's never worked for any generation, and it's a particularly weak approach to this problem.
Kids aren't stupid, and they're especially good at spotting double standards. Everything they see and hear around them tells them that the screen is where all the fun and action are and where they need to go to thrive and succeed."
pg.71: "And like all diets, they seem far more feasible in the abstract than in practice. In a world where everyone is gorging on connectedness, it takes serious willpower to say, 'None for me today, thanks'. Besides, screens are at the heart of most people's professional and personal lives, and taking them away, even for half a day, means falling behind on all fronts."
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
phone gadgets, FB, and so on
