No smartphone = feeling like a pariah

gustavofring

gustavofring

Well-known member
My smartphone broke a while ago and I have no money to replace it. In break times I feel pretty awkward as everyone is fixated on their phones and I am just staring at nothing. And they notice it too. My douchebag of a new boss even said "hey look everyone has a phone, where is yours?"

What an era we live in. I do long back sometimes to the pre-internet phone time. I think I'm just going to take a walk in break times from now on until I have a phone. I think having a smartphone definately eases the break times, you don't have to participate in conversations and can just zone out to your screen without anyone thinking anything of it. But if you don't have one, you feel pretty weird and excluded nowadays.
 
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D

DeadSummer

Banned
Just read a book or a newspaper. There is so much interesting stuff to read. I have lived on it before internet and it was in a way even better than now.
 
Sacrament

Sacrament

Well-known member
Yeah, pretty sure your boss was joking. Also, you don't need to be one of those people who have their eyes constantly glued to their phones. As the user above said, read a book, or newspaper, or magazine, or listen to some music.

Or go for a walk, of course. Also, do you really need a smartphone? You could always get a cheaper phone and play games on it.
 
gustavofring

gustavofring

Well-known member
Yeah, it's no biggie. Just an observation I made. #firstworldproblem.

I'll definitely bring a magazine or something next time.
 
S_Spartan

S_Spartan

Well-known member
Sometimes I see a person on an old flip phone and yearn for the simplicity but I'm getting better at not using my smart phone as much these days. The novelty is wearing off...
 
kihira

kihira

1
It's quite scary how and where people have their faces stuck to their phones these days

Sent from my laptop
 
Argentum

Argentum

Well-known member
I'm sometimes tempted to throw the damn thing away because it's symbolic of societal and intellectual rot. Half the time when I'm in class people have their phones out while other people are working on the equipment. Heaven forbid they have to learn something that isn't about a television show or contribute to a group grade instead of checking Reddit for the latest low-grade content to chug down.
 
S_Spartan

S_Spartan

Well-known member
I'm convinced that technology addiction is really just dopamine addiction. For example: sitting on a park bench listening to nature, little to no dopamine released. Sitting on a park bench seeing the "likes" rack up on the selfie you just took while on the park bench, good dopamine hit.
(for disclosure I do not take selfies or do social media, just used as an example..hehe)
But this can be applied to many things we do online.
Basically people are becoming more afraid to face the mundane nature of life. They can't accept that 90 percent of living is just monotony.
What did John Lennon say? "Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans"?
 
Pyrophosphate

Pyrophosphate

1
I have a smartphone, and I hate it. Not because of what everybody else here said (because that isn't the smartphone's fault), but because it's bad at nearly everything it is supposed to do. This is not the fault of the technology, but of the business models behind that technology (which makes it even more frustrating).

I'm a computer person, I love technology, but I'd also love to melt down my phone into a small brick and airmail it through Samsung's window. I think you'll be just fine without it. People will stop calling you on it when the novelty wears off.
 
A

AGR

Well-known member
I don't have it either never had actually,funny you posted this yesterday,I just went to try to get one when I saw this topic,but didn't get one because I am still paying for my old phone,if I cancelled I would have to pay for the iPhone upfront,or so the girl told me,but it's alright.....
 
theoutsider

theoutsider

Well-known member
Sadly, I read a lot less than I used to before buying a smart phone. I used to read everyday at lunch now I find myself checking ads, Facebook, playing games and sending texts. My late new year's resolution is to get back into reading. There's nothing like a good book for a mental break and escape.
 
Opaline

Opaline

1
Hmm. I find it strange that you feel awkward not drooling at a smartphone screen like your coworkers on breaks :p

I have one, and while I enjoy the many benefits of having one, I often wish they were never invented as well because they make it much too easy to procrastinate or to avoid people/problems. They make me anxious in that people can reach me at any time (technically) and I feel like I have to have it on me at all times or some undefinable horrific event will occur (or I will cease to exist).

I'm exaggerating of course, but the anxiety/attachment/compulsion people have surrounding these things is real. Plus they can contribute to you becoming lazy/out of shape if you spend too much time on them, not good for your eyes or your attention span (I think mine is almost nonexistent now... damn shame).

I wouldn't feel bad not having one, although I can understand the pressure to fit in.
 
gustavofring

gustavofring

Well-known member
S_Spartan said:
I'm convinced that technology addiction is really just dopamine addiction. For example: sitting on a park bench listening to nature, little to no dopamine released. Sitting on a park bench seeing the "likes" rack up on the selfie you just took while on the park bench, good dopamine hit.
(for disclosure I do not take selfies or do social media, just used as an example..hehe)
But this can be applied to many things we do online.
Basically people are becoming more afraid to face the mundane nature of life. They can't accept that 90 percent of living is just monotony.
What did John Lennon say? "Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans"?
Click to expand...

So true. it's almost a sickness, to always feel "connected" (to social media, news sites, whatsapp etc.). I must say I participated in it too when I still had a smartphone. But the high soon wears off. Now that I don't have one, I see everyone around me constantly looking on their phone each and every time they have nothing else to do. In the train, in break times, etc. It's indeed like people can't simply pay attention to simple everyday reality anymore, because it's not interesting enough.

If you read a book in break times you probably get weird looks these days. :thumbdown:
 
gustavofring

gustavofring

Well-known member
MollyBeGood said:
There's something absolutely sexy about a guy reading...a guy on a smart phone is dead to me emotionally.

How about just sitting there and taking it all in like a meditation?

This is good though...

‘Hot Dudes Reading’ Books On Trains Is The Hottest Instagram Right Now | Bored Panda
Click to expand...

Haha they look rather intellectual. You've convinced me. I wonder if it at one point becomes "hip" to read physical paper again and not be on that stupid phone all the time.
 
Jungle

Jungle

1
Do whatever suits you the best, be yourself, have it à la gustavofring and screw everyone else... If they want to keep busy busting their eyesight so be it.

Society is like a sheep herd, they'll blindly follow whatever they deem "trendy".

Don't fall into this, think about what's good for you before all.
 
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