
A society of phone zombies - stevenleeg
http://stevegattuso.me/2013/11/30/a-society-of-phone-zombies.html
======
ryguytilidie
Reminds me of the time my wife's mother was very sick with cancer and we were
at dinner and her dad was texting her updates. One time we happened to be at
dinner and he sent her some messages so they were texting back and forth for
2-3m. During this time, the older gentleman at the table next to us actually
says excuse me, can you get off your phone? You kids always being on your
phone is getting really old. Because, you know, at 31, I personally embody ALL
kids.

I guess maybe the moral of the story for me is that we would probably be
happier people if we weren't fretting about a harmless thing people were doing
and instead focused on our own happiness. Maybe instead of sitting there
getting grumpy that a stranger was looking at a screen this guy could have
just had a conversation with the person at his table? Maybe its time for
people to stop throwing a fit about things other people are doing and maybe
that would make us all a bit happier.

~~~
DanielBMarkham
This is a terrible comment, and I want to explain why. It subtly changes the
subject.

It's not about what _others_ think of your technology use. It's what you think
about it yourself. The reason many of us feel moved by the article and the
video isn't some need to tell others what to do, it's the recognition that we
ourselves are missing out on important parts of life in some kind of weird
attempt to become a TV reporter.

So sure, for the .1% time that you're texting your sick wife with cancer and
she's able to vicariously experience things, you are probably feeling pretty
good about what you're doing. Now how about the other 99.9% of the time? Do
you personally feel that all that tech use is in the interests of some greater
good? If so, have fun with it. After watching my own habits, I am very
doubtful that this is true. I see people all the time use tech in such a way
that's directly opposed to their own best interests -- and they're smart
enough to realize this, too. The problem isn't my judging them -- heck I don't
care what people do -- it's that we're turning into a society that's spending
significant time doing things that we don't want to do. They just give a bit
of immediate gratification.

~~~
jgon
This is a terrible comment and I want to explain why. It uses hyperbolic
language in an aggressive manner far out of proportion to content of the
comment it is replying to.

Youtube comments are generally terrible. Stormfront comments are terrible.
4Chan comments can be terrible. This comment had content directly related to
article it was replying to, talking about the utility this technology can
provide, and also that the main thrust of the article and the video it
contains seems to be someone else's value judgement on what _other_ people
should enjoy.

So sure, for the .1% of the time that a comment on this site is actually
derailing or contains just blatant flamebait, trolling, attacks, etc it
probably feels pretty good to call it out as terrible. But for the other 99.9%
of the time? Have some perspective, grapple with the content of the comment,
and do so in a non-aggressive manner entirely in proportion to what you are
replying to. Don't go for the over the top hyperbole, no matter how much
immediate gratification it gives you.

~~~
ryguytilidie
But he got to insult a stranger on the internet. How else is someone supposed
to build their self esteem?? :(

~~~
DanielBMarkham
Good grief. Just to be clear, no disrespect to the commenter was intended or
made. The comment itself was bad, because it took a wonderful personal story
and used it to derail the attempt by the larger group to analyze the topic.
Good people can make bad comments. I do it all the time. Most of the time I
try to self-identify such comments by prefixing them with "sidebar" "meta" or
another tag.

~~~
kaybe
Maybe 'bad' is not the best description for getting your point across in this
case. I feel that the two of you understand differently what you tried to
say.. 'bad' is quite emotionally charged for some (for someone it's directed
at) and can distract from the discussion for this reason, and I think there
are adjectives that do a similar enough job without this while still
explaining what happens here from your point of view.

------
chrismonsanto
I'm a bit extreme, but I don't own a smartphone, I never have owned a
smartphone, and I never plan to own a smartphone. I already know what it will
do to my brain, because I spend all day at my computer, and it's a constant
struggle to not waste time on the Internet. (Most of my best work has been
done on pen and paper while taking a walk.)

Even when I'm not working, I like being disconnected. It gives me a chance to
reflect on my life. Where I am, where I want to be. Ideas I have. I find it
difficult to produce anything of value to myself or others when I am too busy
consuming stuff through my screens.

I think the worst part of smartphones are the cameras. I had an epiphany one
day at some aquarium in NJ. The aquarium was mediocre, certainly nothing worth
taking pictures of. But yet every group of people had to take videos of the
fish, had to pose with the fish with their friends, etc (who knows why, those
people will never view those videos ever).

Of course all of this picture taking took so long that people got bored. Why
not, they couldn't see the fish, after all. So of course, everyone got on
their phones and goofed off, which made the crowds even MORE sluggish, which
made the whole affair take longer, and which made the aquarium experience even
more boring.

I think that if phones were banned at the aquarium people would have gotten in
and out more quickly, seen more fish, and had more fun. It's ironic that the
smartphone--which is supposed to be whiz-bang-wow-entertainment-whenever-you-
need-it--contributed heavily to making the aquarium experience boring for
everyone.

Sorry to ramble! This issue means a lot to me. For a funnier presentation of
what I just said, check out Louis CK's standup
([http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zd2sRC3K9Hs](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zd2sRC3K9Hs)).

~~~
eliteraspberrie
I don't own a smartphone either, and I don't normally carry a cellphone. I
figure if everyone around me has one, I don't need one. The sad thing is when
you meet new people and are expected to exchange phone numbers, it takes a
little explaining to make sure they don't take "I don't have a phone" as "I
couldn't come up with a more plausible excuse to never see you again."

~~~
jafaku
I don't own a smartphone either, and in my work days (I don't work anymore)
potential employers always thought I didn't know much about technology (or
anything else for that matter), just because of this. They wanted people who
used all the latest stupid "apps", and were connected to the matrix 24/7
through many different channels.

------
chasing
This argument has been made over and over and over for years. I enjoy my
mobile device. It's extremely useful in many situations. Although I admit that
it's sometimes a distraction for me and other people.

But here's the thing: Mindless people will be mindless. They'll find a way.
Inconsiderate people will be inconsiderate. If they have an iPhone in their
pocket, maybe they'll use that as the tool of their rudeness. But it's the
person at the helm, not the device.

The solution isn't the removal or banning of the technology, but the age-old
solution of introducing social norms about what is and is not acceptable
behavior. We do this all the time with new technologies and other social
changes. If you start sending a text message while I'm talking to you, that's
extremely rude and unless you preface the act with "excuse me, I just realized
I left my child at home next to an open flame and I need to make sure the
nanny put him out" then I'm going to treat you as if you just perpetrated some
combination of farting and shouting a racial slur. But if there are a few of
us having lunch and you excuse yourself to send a couple of text messages or
make a quick call while the rest of us chatter on, who cares? Go for it.

The same rules of politeness and thoughtfulness apply. They're not at all hard
to figure out. And I think almost everybody has. Except for the few who, like
I said above, are going to find some way to be mindless or inconsiderate
regardless of what's in their pocket.

~~~
bdcravens
_If they have an iPhone in their pocket, maybe they 'll use that as the tool
of their rudeness._

Huh. Good to know that those who carry non-iPhones are inherently more polite.

~~~
kalleboo
You didn't read the comment at all, did you?

~~~
bdcravens
Of course I did, and I agree with the point. However, I also read the original
article, which never referenced a specific phone (it did mention a few vendors
in a one sentence, but that's it). The use of "iPhone" versus "smartphone"
(again, we're commenting on an article here) has implicit meaning.

~~~
chasing
"iPhone" is a specific example of something that might fit the case. I
could've said "Nexus 4." Or "keys." Or "pack of gum." The idea was to add a
little color by use of an example that's more easily visualized. Similar to
the bits further down about a setting child on fire and farting in public.
Just a little writing trick.

Maybe it would've been clearer had I written, "For example, if they have an
iPhone..."

------
mikecane
Meanwhile, this photo has been spreading like wildfire on Twitter:
[https://twitter.com/johnmaeda/status/406759966712684544](https://twitter.com/johnmaeda/status/406759966712684544)

~~~
chrismonsanto
I don't know if you endorse the message behind that photo or not, but I've
never taken someone out to dinner who busted out the newspaper while I was
trying to talk to them.

~~~
vezzy-fnord
Indeed, plus it's a completely different social setting: public transport. Non
sequitur all the way.

~~~
voyou
But do you often find people around you checking their phones while in the
middle of doing something else? It seems to me that people mostly use
smartphones to kill time, when they're _not_ doing anything else; on public
transport or while waiting for something, that is, just the sorts of times
you'ld see people reading the newspaper.

------
snide
The easiest rule to follow:

Never pull out your phone unless you politely excuse yourself from the people
you are with.

This will dramatically limit the amount of times you check, and on the off
chance you really do need to check your phone, say a phone call, then it will
be a politeness to those around you.

Do this just one night and you'll feel embarrassed every time you need to
check it.

~~~
voyou
"Never pull out your phone unless you politely excuse yourself from the people
you are with."

Among people I know, that is the standard practice; it's not something I've
ever heard anyone advocate, it's just what everyone does. I'm intrigued as to
what context you (and, by the looks of the comments here, lots of other HN
posters) are in where people just break off in the middle of social
interactions to mess about with their phones. That's such a basic violation of
(what I take to be) standard interpersonal norms I have trouble imagining
anyone doing it.

~~~
graeme
How old are you? I'm 28, and people my age and younger do this all the time.
The younger they are, the less likely there is to be any apology.

~~~
aridiculous
I had a friend (not a close one, but good enough to arrange one-on-one
meetings in NYC) repeatedly pull out his phone in the middle of conversations.
Everything just stopped for a minute 4-5 times/hr. I then defriended him in
real life.

But then you also have the people who just scroll through Instagram or
something similarly non-linguistic while you're in a conversation. They say
they're listening but they "just do this naturally" or "I can do two things at
once".

Whether their phone use is blocking or non-blocking of our conversation, it's
simply a gesture of disrespect if done more than once or twice. If you don't
like my company enough to give full attention, or your other friend is in an
emergency, just excuse yourself and leave.

I think I'm going to start excusing myself when I find my friends are doing
it.

------
sendos
I call the effect smartphones are having on us "Information Obesity" [1].

Just like when food was scarce and people ate as much as they could, and now
that food is abundant many people can't limit themselves to sensible amounts,
a similar thing happened with information.

When information was scarce, we consumed as much as we could, and now that it
is abundant many people can't limit themselves to sensible amounts, and keep
checking their email, twitter, reddit, HN, etc, on their smartphones.

Just as we learned to teach people who to deal with food abundance (and not
successfully yet, unfortunately) we should one day start to teach people who
to deal with information abundance

[1]
[http://andrewoneverything.com/post/43839194291/information-o...](http://andrewoneverything.com/post/43839194291/information-
obesity)

------
graeme
There's one solution few people consider: don't get a data plan.

The original iphone launch trained us that smartphones must have a data plan.
You couldn't buy one without data. But now you can. I have an iphone with
unlimited calls and texting, for $40 a month.

I use wifi at home, but when I'm out and about I'm not connected. I've never
had a single problem as a consequence.

You might say "but....google maps!". I've found that without Google maps, I am
forced to actually learn my way around. Within a day or two I know a new city
better than most locals.

My phone is much less distracting as a consequence.

~~~
nly
Data is only going to get cheaper, and voice and SMS only plans are only going
to get more scarce. Even without a data plan, prepaid in fact, 3 are 'only'
charging $0.016 / MiB here in the UK. I remember when web hosts were charging
rates that high.

In another few years it's likely you won't even need to make the decision
about whether you need or want a data plan or not. You'll just get data. At
least I hope so.

~~~
graeme
Perhaps I wasn't clear. I wasn't avoiding data because of cost. I don't WANT
it.

Many people want their phones less distracting, but they lack the willpower
not to check their phones. But remove the data plan, and you don't need
willpower to avoid checking it.

------
dictum
> Next time you’re in a restaurant with friends, have everyone put their
> phones stacked and face down in the center of the table. If anyone takes
> their phone off of the stack during the meal, they have to pay everyone
> else’s bill. It’s a fun way to make sure everyone is off their phone without
> seeming like an imposing ass.

If what keeps people from checking their phone is the threat of having to foot
an expensive bill, it's not so much a society of phone zombies, but a society
of people with no self control.

~~~
graeme
Do you have zero addictions? Are you a perfect, rational person that never
does anything against their better judgment?

If so, congratulations.

As for myself, I have no problem avoiding sugar, bad foods, alcohol, lottery
tickets, cigarettes, drugs. I have dodged all those bullets. But the internet
has a hold on me. I want to use it less, but it's compelling.

Some people don't have that, but they suffer other compulsions. Unless you
have zero compulsions, I would not be so quick to judge others.

~~~
mildtrepidation
This attitude is maddening. You're not perfect, so you have no place pointing
out other people's flaws? Ridiculous!

This is also the third time I've seen it expressed in the last half hour.
Where do people get the idea that no one should be allowed to criticize them
unless the critic is a flawless person? Is this the result of the "you're a
special person" upbringing many of us suffered through?

Are you a perfect programmer? No? Then shut up, my code works. Are you a
perfect father? No? Then shut up, my kid's behavior is none of your business.
Are you a perfect driver? No? Then shut up, dotted lines are just suggestions.

No one is perfect. If you can't deal with criticism, consider it a reflection
on YOUR character, not anyone else's.

~~~
Houshalter
The above comment _seemed_ condescending. Like it isn't a real problem, just
something for people with a certain character flaw which implies that it's
_their fault_.

He added more in another comment and rereading it I think it's correct, but
that's how it came off the first time I read it too.

------
MaxScheiber
In my opinion, one of the most egregious examples of phone zombie-ism is the
amount of people taking pictures on their phones / tablets when at some sort
of famous monument or location.

To quote (of all people) Maddox:

> I kept staring at "my" picture, looking for some glimmer of justification
> for its existence, I thought that maybe I could show this to my friends as
> proof that I'd seen the portrait with my own eyes. But I'm not in this
> picture, so there's no proof I was ever there. Even if I was in the picture,
> it could have been photoshopped. And why would I need to prove it to anyone
> anyway?

I used to do this when I was younger, but I've come to realize that:

1\. A professional photo of a famous destination looks seriously better than
an iPhone photo.

2\. The only reason people take these photos is to get more likes on Facebook
and Instagram.

3\. Nobody actually cares.

I've found myself enjoying a photoworthy location much more when my head is
out of my phone and focused on the scene itself. This notion has served as
inspiration for a recent project and venture I've been working on.

~~~
joezydeco
I've been travelling around Europe ever since I met my (now) wife and she
taught me a great tip: the cheap postcard you can buy at the newsstand or
souvenir kiosk in any scenic town will be light-years better than anything you
could take. Instead of fretting about getting the perfect picture, why not
just relax and enjoy the view?

------
chimeracoder
I'm really glad that this was written, and even more glad to see it getting
some attention on HackerNews.

By definition, most of us on this site live our lives by technology.
Especially as engineers, it's easy to get caught up in thinking about the
tools we use, how to use them better, how to use them faster, and how to use
the more. Just as important, however, is the ability to step back and think
about _when_ we should be using these tools, and _how_.

Technology is an incredibly powerful tool, but it's simply that. A violin is
not music; it is simply a medium (literally) that a musician uses to create
music.

It's all too easy to confuse the technique with the goal.

~~~
vezzy-fnord
I've been trying to say the same thing as the OP for a while now, but often
when I do, I tend to get branded a "Luddite" or even get told to "stop reaping
the benefits of technology".

It's funny how you get called a Luddite by people who don't see anything past
the shiny user interface.

------
seiji
"Seeing Eye People" \-- someone to guide you through the world while you text
and walk crowded streets: [http://improveverywhere.com/2013/04/30/seeing-eye-
people/](http://improveverywhere.com/2013/04/30/seeing-eye-people/)

------
Eduard
I am a big fan of the current phone zombie generation!

It helps me a lot to recruit new users for my website. I usually start by
asking them "Could you do me a favor and take a look at my website. I've not
checked my site on your kind of mobile phone".

Currently, I have a success rate of 80 percent of users taking a look at the
website, and out of them, roughly 70 percent go to sign up with Facebook.

Besides getting new users, I get invaluable insight into my users' behavior
and expectations while peeking at their phones. Additionally, I can check out
how my website works on different kinds of mobile phones, OSes and tablets.

So I am really happy with so many phone zombies.

------
autonomy77
Good article, but there seems to be a current trend towards being either a
full-time tech-head or a neo-luddite who rejects technology. I'd argue it's
possible to be both. I have to be (and actually rather enjoy) being 100%
plugged in for my job - yet I also enjoy powering down all my tech and
spending dedicated time with my family with no devices online.

I think we sometimes forget that we're allowed to do them both - but sometimes
the balance gets skewed. Plug in if you want to, but when you unplug, unplug
_completely_. It's bliss.

------
brownbat
This doesn't have to be all or nothing, you can use mobile devices to
supplement social interaction.

At some of our dinners, conversation will flow, and people will wonder about
some fact, one of us will find it on wikipedia, conversation will ebb, and
someone will check a feed for an interesting recent story to add to the
discussion.

We used to have petty bar arguments, but now we're all able to quickly
identify what's simply a research question, and we get far less invested. We
now have debates or probing discussions about issues and values that are
deeper and more personal than "who was that guy in that movie from the 80s."

I'd avoid guidance that tells you to always set some technology aside in some
situations, and instead ask, "How can I use this tool to make what I'm doing
better?"

Just keep in mind that you're involved in a group project, and the goal is
increasing the total group's enjoyment, not solely increasing your personal
enjoyment.

If you get that, then setting tech aside isn't necessary. If you don't get
that, then setting tech aside isn't sufficient.

------
smugengineer69
I really disagree with the sentiments here. Like many of you, I'm on the
internet quite literally 14-16 out of every 24 hours, actively using it for
about 13 of those. I've had a smartphone continuously since the palm treo 600
in 2003.

But never once have I felt powerless against it. I have one simple rule: don't
use it when I'm talking to people. (Unless we want to look something up on
Wikipedia, in which case we do it together). This is enough. Maybe I just
don't know what all you other people are doing with your phones that make them
so irresistible, but I am able to move fluidly between online and offline
action in the world with no second thought. If I get a notification, I take
the phone out for a second to read it and put it right back away.

Many times, the phone could be anything: If I have a magazine nearby instead,
I read that. Or subway map. Or shampoo bottle.

What's the real complaint here? I've seen articles like this 100 times and
frankly none of them ever brings anything original to the table. I actually
think this is because they derive their clickability through their vagueness.
Everyone knows some jackass who brings his phone out during thanksgiving
dinner with grandma, and everyone has almost run into someone who has been
looking at their phone instead if the street. Is this really all you're
complaining about? I'd call these minor inconveniences at best, rude behavior
at worst.

Predictably, In an effort to fill the void left by actual specific examples
and details, these arguments/videos take on some sort of mystical "not
enjoying the world" vibe. How do they make this leap so readily? It's easy to
do because everyone loves to think the rest of the world is made up of
zombies. But does it even logically follow?!

That video he references has come up everywhere and seems to resonate with a
lot of people. It seems to focus on the idea of savoring the moment, whatever
that means. Our Galtian heroine can do it, no one else can.

I see this woman as desperately and reactionarily clinging to a past that
never existed, or at best an artisan-crafted inconvenience-sporting charming
paradise.

Let's get to specifics. Let's discuss specific times when we think it's not ok
to talk on the phone -- at dinner, when walking on a crowded street, with
grandma -- and let's give up on this high-blown pretentious rhetoric about
connecting with the world and savoring the moment. It's frankly
counterproductive--instead of discussing the new norms that always-connected
technology dictates in specific detail, these articles have wandered into
mystical, unrefutable territory that is usually the subject of religious
belief, not pragmatic policy-setting.

~~~
chasing
Excellent comment.

There's a weird kind of "back in the idealistic days of yore" element to this.
Texting during meals, for example, isn't something I regularly do. But. I can
think of many situations where it's been important in solving a social
problem. For example, if someone got lost en route and needs a little help. Or
is running late and just wants to politely let you know to go ahead and order.
To ignore those messages would be kind of an asshole move.

Remember when not everyone carried mobile phones? Basic communication when
people were out-and-about was wildly inconvenient if not completely
impossible. Tons of time and energy got wasted doing basic tasks we now
completely take for granted.

------
arthurgibson
Ha, once Google Glass goes mainstream no one will be pulling out phones, they
can stare blankly at you and read whatever they want.

Seriously, there's a middle ground with everything, too much TV, on the
laptop, playing video games. Individuals need to evaluate their own life and
valuable interactions. At least the guy in the video made the hike instead of
getting a virtual tour.

------
matthew-wegner
Oh, I don't know.

I noticed this the other day, and I realized the root urge behind "phone
zombie" is to _connect with other people_ : Friends, news, the world at large.
Mobile phones are the inevitable byproduct of humans being incredible social
animals.

(I try to minimize my own notifications and mobile phone usage, but to each
their own).

~~~
stevenleeg
Sure we're attempting to connect with other people, but I argue that it's
degrading the quality of the connections we're supposed to be making in real
life.

------
jccalhoun
" Next time you’re in a restaurant with friends, have everyone put their
phones stacked and face down in the center of the table. If anyone takes their
phone off of the stack during the meal, they have to pay everyone else’s bill.
It’s a fun way to make sure everyone is off their phone without seeming like
an imposing ass."

The author's definition of "not seeming like an imposing ass" is very
different than mine. If anyone I knew suggested that I would probably end up
never wanting to go out with them ever again. Yeah, screw that. If you don't
want me using my phone tell me. Don't play stupid games. Of course I'll
probably tell you to fuck off and go to hell...

------
JonnieCache
Author, if you're reading, kudos on the thin website. My eye muscles thank
you.

Anyway, this problem is easily solved: [http://www.amazon.com/Nokia-Black-
Unlocked-DualBand-Phone/dp...](http://www.amazon.com/Nokia-Black-Unlocked-
DualBand-
Phone/dp/B0068ZAPB0/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1385831295&sr=8-16&keywords=nokia+1100)

~~~
stevenleeg
Thanks :)!

And yeah, I have a similar phone laying around that I've been thinking about
trying. The battery life on those suckers is absolutely insane relative to
smartphones!

~~~
JonnieCache
Yeah I charge mine once every few weeks. It takes about 20 minutes. If it
played MP3s from an SD card it would be perfect.

Not having the maps is occasionally annoying. Aside from that it's great,
there really is no good reason to have a web browser in your pocket that can
outweigh the damage from having the internet creep into real life.

But then I never really used any apps back when I had a smartphone anyway.
Maybe the highly industrious networker types won't find it so simple.

------
taylodl
I'm an iPhone user and I use the Do Not Disturb feature so only calls from my
immediate family will ring through. In the Notification Center I never
configure applications to buzz the phone - instead I opt for the application
icon to be badged when it has something for me. I think of it as making the
phone work for me over my becoming a slave of the phone.

~~~
endianswap
I understand the motivation behind this, but after doing the same thing I find
myself checking my phone _more_ because it no longer alerts me when there's
something I might care about. Instead I check it much more frequently than I
need to because I have no idea which little addiction icons will be lit up
when I check each time.

------
dante9999
Relevant
[http://9gag.com/gag/a9d1151?ref=t](http://9gag.com/gag/a9d1151?ref=t)

------
ipsin
What shocks me, as a bicycle commuter, is the number of people who cradle
their smartphones in front of them while they drive.

It's selfish and dangerous as hell, and those who do it exhibit the same
really obvious symptoms as those on foot.

Lack of situational awareness, delayed response, and the poor decision-making
that results from those.

~~~
leokun
> as a bicycle commuter

Smartphone use in a vehicle is a problem, so I agree with the gist, but this
part about you riding a bike is completely irrelevant to the point you made.
But maybe you want some kind of cookie for being so respectful of the
environment and conscientious enough to ride a bike on a regular basis. So I
just wanted to take this moment and thank you for riding your bike. You're a
good person. You should tell more people that you are a bicycle commuter so
you can get more people to thank you for your service to the world.

~~~
ipsin
I think that you are missing my point, because the bicycle is entirely
relevant.

I own a car. I drive it. A lot. You didn't need to know that.

But in the situation I described, I feel quite vulnerable, because I'm not in
a car, and because I'm not on the sidewalk. In other words, because I'm on a
bicycle.

~~~
leokun
I get that. I totally agree with the point that smartphone use while driving
is bad, that's why it's also illegal. But it's dangerous for everyone, not
just bicycle riders.

Personally, and I'm sure the downvotes will keep flying in, I think it's
completely reckless to ride a bike in dense traffic, surrounded by people who
are on their smartphones and driving too fast, but you can feel all self-
entitled to the road because the law just happens to be on your side (but not
the infrastructure - not many bike lanes), but maybe instead ride on less busy
roads or just don't ride at all.

I give bikers a lot of space, and everything that is required for them to be
safe, but though I will never do anything less, I have learned to resent it.
So many people riding their bikes just seem oblivious to their surroundings
and make bad decisions and simply get in the way not caring. Then you come and
post on the internet about how bad drivers are. I wish it was safer for people
to ride bikes. I wish bike riding were a great thing where there were many
lanes available, and everything was happy and safe, but it's not. So maybe
just stop riding your bike, or ride on a less crazy road.

~~~
ipsin
Your assumptions ("not many bike lanes", "self-entitled") seem to be somewhat
localized, but your anger and willingness to jump to incorrect conclusions
about who I am or how I ride isn't.

I'm pretty sure I don't live near where you live. Cars don't drive too fast.
There are bike lanes. When I see a stop sign, I stop. I try not to piss off
drivers.

You seem to be offering me a false choice: "stop talking about risk" or "stop
riding your bike".

------
DenisM
Once again I recommend the book "shallows - what the Internet is doing to our
brains" by Nicolas Carr. 20% of the book is a list of references to scientific
studies, so the book is not just another fluff-opinion piece.

If you can't bring yourself to read a book, you might have a serious problem
already :)

------
chatmasta
If overconsumption of technology harms productivity of people, great! Less
competition for me. As they say, "it's a dog eat dog world." While you're
browsing Facebook, I'm advancing myself in the world. Good luck catching me.

~~~
gress
Do you consider yourself to be a sociopath?

~~~
coderdude
Are you one of those people who thinks they're a psychiatrist?

~~~
gress
Are you?

------
wellboy
I've thought about this a lot.

I have found out that when I'm busy anyways with walking in the city, on the
train etc. and I can't really take time for myself or just relax, with my
phone I'm able to organize things or meeting with friends for activities
later, so that when I really have time for myself with no one bothering me, I
have organized everything already.

So what the smartphone enables me to do is that I can use 30 seconds here and
there during my day when I'm busy anyways, and have that time free in the
evenings for instance. These 30 seconds that I use around 100 times during the
day, then amount to an hour additional free hour at the end of the day.

------
blackhole
To this day, I still don't own a smartphone. This will eventually change,
because I need it for more practical things, like having a map and being able
to search google for things while I'm on the road.

But what completely boggles my mind is actually letting the phone buzz me for
anything other than an actual phone call. Even when I'm at my desktop the only
notifications I get are skype conversations, and sometimes I turn _those_ off
too.

I think the problem isn't phones, it's notifications. We have become addicted
to notifications on both phones and the desktop.

~~~
gress
Ironically, I love the fact that I almost never receive unplanned phone calls
anymore, and that when I want to talk to my friends, I can use video.

------
mcphilip
Another component of a solution for this is giving parents better control over
the time and energy kids are allowed to spend on their smartphone. As ADHD as
I am as an adult, I wonder what the the effects an always on entertainment
device would have had on my issues with distraction in my developmental years.

Maybe this already exists, but ideally I'd like to have unrestricted voice,
but limited non-voice (I.e app) usage settings per day on phones.

------
Tycho
Smartphones are great but damned if I'll ever accept a company-email-enabled
device. I think corporations are making a mistake by handing blackberrys out
to everyone. You want to give your staff time and space to think about the big
picture and the big problems, not constantly being monopolized by trivial
emails in their quiet moments.

------
prostoalex
If we gave up phones in public, we could be as extroverted and public as two
generations before us:

[https://scontent-a-sjc.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-
ash3/1453418_673...](https://scontent-a-sjc.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-
ash3/1453418_673991312625787_1277325133_n.jpg)

------
polarix
Does it change for you once we remove all visible or audible indications of
others' distraction?

Perhaps we should just start to expect that we never have anyone's full
attention. Indeed we never did.

------
cheeko1234
I wonder how the author's going to feel when the Oculus Rift becomes
mainstream. We will be getting lost "inside" technology. Is that necessarily a
bad thing?

------
andor
It's addictive behaviour. If you're _ahem_ rather active on HN, you might be
interested in the book "The Fix" by Damian Thompson.

------
arh68
I stopped using my iPhone 4 a while ago. I've got a Nokia now. Things are
mostly the same, though I was told my voice comes through much better now.

~~~
lttlrck
It's great to hear your friends are happy with your purchase.

------
rog-r
Im at a birthday party right now... :-/

------
rusabd
browsing headlines is easy brain food - it is mind's sugar. No substance, just
pure energy we crave. Even worse - it stealing the time we would use for deep
thoughts. The devastation effect on human society will be recognized only
decades later I afraid.

------
mahyarm
Facebook & Twitter, it's the new TV.

------
fpgaminer
I chock this up to a growing conflict between the past and the future of our
civilization. A past where the only place you could be was exactly where you
were, whether you liked it or not. A future where you can be anywhere, do
anything, with anyone.

Take a minute, and imagine all the places you would rather be right now, and
imagine you could have anyone there with you. That's what humans lust for;
it's why we spend so much money on vacations to exotic locations, or to live
in nicer neighborhoods; nicer homes. But for the greater part of our history
it has been exactly that; costly and time consuming. In the future, virtual
worlds will be indistinguishable from the real world, and so the choice
between the two will be simple. Why sit in an ugly cubicle in a stuffy office
when you can be on a beach doing your work? Why drive 50 miles to visit an old
friend, when both of you can go to the top of Mount Everest in the blink of an
eye? Are your kids safe at school? Of course they are, because they are not
physically at school, while at the same time getting lessons from the best
teachers around the world.

It can be easy to imagine that world, and be horrified by it, because we fear
that we will use it only for pleasure; never work. All those things
experiences which will be common place in the future, are luxuries now. So
they seem like pleasures, vacations. They will merely be commonplace, though;
a normal part of your day. Have smart phones and the internet destroyed work
ethic? Of course not. People always goofed off that much. Your grandfather
didn't work harder than you; he probably just did more manual labor than our
more service oriented job-o-sphere.

As for the fear of technology disconnecting people, I call baloney. Perhaps it
has long been forgotten now, but it used to be that you'd kiss your loved ones
goodbye in the morning and then never hear from them again until it was
evening. Sometimes your significant other didn't show up. Stuck at work?
Decided to hang out with friends? Mugged on the streets? Who knows! Then came
along the telephone. Now you can stay in touch with those you care about,
whenever you want. I don't call that technology destroying humanity. That's
technology doing the most beautiful thing it can do; connect us.

Back to what I was getting at about the past and future colliding. If we're
ultimately headed into a future where we spend most of our lives living in the
virtual/augmented, then what we see today is that awkward in-between phase.
Because of the limitations of today, our exotic virtual worlds are crude
websites like Hacker News, Twitter, Reddit, etc. But they are virtual worlds.
They're little vacations we can go on. We get to meet new people, read new
stories, experience new things. It's primitive. But it's already powerful. We
forget so easily, because of the crudeness of the technology, that when we're
online we are interacting with other live human beings. The only difference
between that and the real world is that it isn't triggering our primal sense
of reality. That will change.

When I'm walking down the street, I see an ugly suburban landscape. I don't
want to be there. I want to be on the exotic, tropical island called Hacker
News reading about the success or failure of someone's dream, and maybe chat
with them about it. That's beautiful to me. And thanks to modern technology I
can choose to do that. A decade ago, I couldn't. I would have been stuck,
staring at the cold concrete under my feet, awkwardly making conversation with
someone I have nothing in common with.

In other words, the author of the article talks about experiencing the world
around you. But that speaks to old notions about what is around us. A hundred
years ago, the world around us was limited to what was physically,
gravitationally around us. Today, the world around us includes that which our
smart phones allow us to see. We can experience not just our local space, but
the lives of those halfway around the world. I say, don't isolate yourself,
pick up the phone and experience the world around you.

Now, I preach on this a bit because I don't see many people doing it. Don't
get me wrong, I appreciate articles like Mr. Gattuso's, and I'll explain why
in a moment. But I hardly ever see views like the one I expressed, written
about. I believe it is because we're in such an awkward in-between right now.
And it's hard to notice just how much good technology has done, especially if
you demonize it. We don't question our ability to call our loved ones and let
them know that we'll be a few hours late that night. It has become so much a
part of the human experience, that when we demonize technology, we ignore how
much we'll truly lose if we "put down the phone."

Again, I do appreciate Mr. Gattuso's article greatly and all others like it.
It's a reminder to us all that we need to be careful and adapt. Yes, the
powerful new ability to be anywhere, and do anything, with anyone, will cause
problems for a large group of people. Just like gambling is a problem for a
lot of people. But this has always been the case. Everyone uses something to
escape from where they should be. Books, TV, daydreaming, etc. It takes real
effort to live a healthy and happy life; it never was easy. Personally, being
an introvert, I'm all too familiar with how much effort it can take to have a
healthy social life. Is ever advancing technology going to make it easier to
be unhealthy and unhappy? Yes! Of course! Just like alcohol can be used
responsibly to relax, and used irresponsibly to destroy lives. Smartphones too
are a double-edged sword. But on the whole, my opinion is that technologies
like these will not introduce problems that did not already exist. And the
benefits they will provide, to connect us in ways we've never experience
before in mankind's history, will provide such a tremendous wealth to our
civilization we must not stop it.

TL;DR: Put down your smartphone when you are where you want/should be. Pick it
up, when you want to be somewhere else. How is that evil?

------
yresnob
Yeah .."feed us with useless information" alright..like this guy's own
article...

------
thenerdfiles
Quot capita tot sensus.

