Good article here on switching off in the digital world

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/dec/26/relax-life-changing-how-to-find-comfort-zone

Our screens and what we use them for are all techniques of distraction, he says. “People have got so used to looking for distraction that they actually cannot stand an evening with themselves. It is a way of not seeing oneself, because to have insight into oneself requires mental space, and all these distraction techniques are used as a way of avoiding getting close to the self."

Wearing a mechanical watch might help avoid the distractions of a smartwatch, but then again I think many of us often get distracted looking at a beautiful timepiece

 

Our family attended the scheduled friends and family Christmas dinner yesterday...I watched a friend back his Tesla out of his garage with his phone while he was standing in the driveway...I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry...so I joyfully wound my Speedy Gonzales Moonwatch.

 

Sitting at the Christmas table yesterday I notice all my nieces and nephews checking their phones non stop. What happened to face to face communication? We have effectively become slaves to a screen. If aliens invaded earth they would think that smartphones were our masters.

 

smart phones and gadgets plus social media obsessions have produced paranoid zombie culture.

Zombie as in face stuck to their phone 24/7 and paranoid worrying what little Susie or bobbie might post about them on twitter, snapchat, or whatever.

The total number of people without jobs or barely a job on their damn phones worrying about their "business" 18 hours a day is staggering.

Damn Apple.

 

As someone who is a college teacher, and facing a generation of graduate students who grew up on the internet, I can vouch for this--and how, in particular, these students are afraid to be alone with their own ideas or thoughts. They need the validation of others (and need this validation immediately)--they are obsessively self-conscious of their image in relation to others--.

 

Is scrolling the internet for watches 24/7 considered as a problem?

 

only if your driving or having relations

 

And they would be right.

 

I think smartphones are now what was in younger age the Teddy bear. In situations where human contact can occur (ex. bus or train), people stare at the phone and feel comforted (maybe this could be called the Teddybeareffect). I often see people unable to focus for longer times and work deeply, they have to stare at their phones all the time. Where this will bring us in the future is a good question. But I'm sure that being able to focus, and not be distracted fastly, will become an increasingly valuable skill.

 

Another way to look at it is that people are now free to communicate with people they like -- just about whenever they want to -- versus being forced to put on a fake 'front' to talk to people they may not like.

 

Is it so different from watching TV? Other than complete control over what to watch?

 

Moved remotish, half hour out of town nothing works. I can be seen there most weekends fishing.

Funny watching city guys looking for service all day whilst fishing knowing we are 250km from the last smiggin of service.

( There is a spot on the way home about 100k from town where you get service for about a minute where they get all their messages for the day but by the time you have read them it’s gone for about another 20 minutes ((does their head in)) till full service )

 

Yeah, addiction to smartphones today is different from watching TV at home 20 years ago or even today. Because before smartphones becoming ubiquitous, I usually didn't see moms ignoring their obviously needy toddlers at Starbucks because of an addiction to TV - with the TV being at home. Now I see moms ignoring their kids all the time because of their addiction to their smartphones. Emphasis on the phrase all the time. (Granted, today's addiction to the smartphone could also be an addiction to streaming TV shows on the smartphone, but that's beside the point.) So, yeah. A little different.

I have to admit, I have a satellite phone, but not because I'm an addict. But seriously, I have it mostly for safety if I'm off the grid in the RV, hiking, camping, travelling, etc.

 

Supposed to be amusing, I find them worrying

 

Re: the Day At The Museum picture - this is a well-known picture of students on a field trip using an Augmented Reality app to research further the exhibition they were attending. It’s just an updated version of the headphone tour of old. Many galleries and museums use them and they’re quite handy.

The guys below are also being very anti-social



PS I’m not disagreeing with the OP at all, just making observations...

 

I read a fantastic book on this topic called “deep work - how to stay focused in a world of distractions”.

Among other things, the books suggests to take a break from social media: one month without opening them. You do not have to tell anybody you are taking this break, otherwise people will text you not to do it and it will be hard to disconnect. Then after 1 month you open again your account and check what you missed. At this point you have to ask yourself if you missed something important to your life or not. Clearly you will miss some content that is somehow valuable, but the question is: will this impact my life?

After 2 months of break my answer was no.
Also, due to my job, I’m not based in my native country. Hence the social media was a way to stay in contact with my friends and family. Well, I ridiscovered other ways to contact them: calling them and having a talk.

Since I closed my accounts I have much more “free time” and I talk much more with the people who are meaningful to me.

Alberto

Ps. This forum is -btw- untouchable

 

And yet people wonder why the recent generations are completely socially inept, mal-adjusted, and offended by everything. Not only is the problem cell phones, and social media. In quite a few instances it is the parents them selves. They are raising children to be little snowflakes that should be appalled and offended at anything thing and everything. They are being taught from the youngest age that it is their birth right to be treated with white gloves, and this attitudes continues their entire life. Sorry this all sounded better in my head.

 

Our parents thought we watched too much TV or had those Walkmans stuck in our ears 24/7 - surely we must all be ill-adjusted social misfits and slackers.

 

I did the same thing after reading 'an organised mind' by Dan Levitin.

He develops the theme of attention, and decision making, being a finite resource and how the information overload of social media essentially eats this away.

So looking at funny cat photos, erodes capacity for other decisions in the day. I closed my Facebook account after this and definately feel more productive.

There is a lot of interesting research on dopamine release (pleasure hormone) and likes on Facebook etc. Essentially these applications are manufactured to addict and ensure maximum time is spent on them. It's interesting to note that the inventors don't let their own children use these applications and/or heavily restrict their use.

 

When my family and I have dinner from time to time I confiscate all the smartphones. On Christmas day I had dinner at my home. When we all were seated at the table. I walked into the kitchen grabbed a Tupperware container went back to the table. I made everyone give up drop their phones into the container. My teenage grand kids were shocked.

One of my granddaughters is thirteen years old. She cracks me up. She thought she was slick putting her phone under her bra strap. I walked over to her smacked her in the chest and said drop your phone in the container. She did but did not like complying with my request.

From time to time I drive her to school. One morning as she was getting ready to get out of my car. She put her phone under her bra strap. I asked her what are you doing. She said she has to hide her phone during classes. Her school does not allow phones in class.

I told her if she keeps that up, and gets caught with her phone in class. She was busted in school for having her phone in class. Last year I took her phone for thirty days. That was a hassle for me, every day she would whine and beg for her phone. I told her keep it up and I will extend the time period.

My wife told me I’m too mean with her in a small way I felt guilty of being the disciplinarian. So, for one of her Christmas presents. I gave her a new iPhone. The kid was thrilled with her new phone. However, I mentioned if you use this phone in class. I will not take your phone I will cancel your phone plan.