The smart phone and evolution

[WhoX]

I can remember days when I could talk to one of my kids and they would look me in the eyes, or at least in the direction of where I was standing. Sitting around the table we used to interact with engaging facial expressions while we told stories of past escapades or daily events.

Now, when or If we talk, eye contact is limited to a total of ten seconds for a five minute conversation. If by luck two of us are sitting at the table, a smartphone is always lowering nearby. I start a conversation, my son's eyes glance at me for a second and then dart back to the screen scanning for new activity. I will continue the conversation (honestly...I would have a better conversation with a flesh eating zombie), the phone flashes and he grabs at it like he's afraid it will grow legs and run away.

It's fracking annoying that I can't talk to anyone (family, friends, etc.) anymore without them stretching their necks to the screen mid-sentence.

I swear this is going to happen to humanity one day, mark my words.

 

[Punk]

Meh. My friends don't do that. Occasionally we look at our cell but far from what that pic is saying.

You know you can set rules at your own table right? We don't use (or rarely if emergency or important stuff) at our table. It's a question of respect, I'm 26 and I rarely look at my phone when I'm with friends or family.

 

[Geoff]

I can remember days when I could talk to one of my kids and they would look me in the eyes, or at least in the direction of where I was standing. Sitting around the table we used to interact with engaging facial expressions while we told stories of past escapades or daily events.

Now, when or If we talk, eye contact is limited to a total of ten seconds for a five minute conversation. If by luck two of us are sitting at the table, a smartphone is always lowering nearby. I start a conversation, my son's eyes glance at me for a second and then dart back to the screen scanning for new activity. I will continue the conversation (honestly...I would have a better conversation with a flesh eating zombie), the phone flashes and he grabs at it like he's afraid it will grow legs and run away.

It's fracking annoying that I can't talk to anyone (family, friends, etc.) anymore without them stretching their necks to the screen mid-sentence.

I swear this is going to happen to humanity one day, mark my words.

Most of the time my friends don't do that. If it's in a really casual setting like in the car, walking, on the chair lift, etc. often times we will look at our phones while talking, but if we're out at a restaurant, gathering, something more formal, etc we rarely look at our phones.

 

[WhoX]

I'm not throwing a blanket and saying that everyone is addicted to their smartphones, but many people I know appear to be. Maybe it's an age thing. Much of the younger generation grew up with smartphones and maybe texting is as natural for them as any other form of consumption. Or it could be the simple fact that I'm just old and lost somewhere in the past.

...what us geriatrics really fear.

 

[Darren]

It's an age and maturity thing. I'm 21 and I have some friends that can't pull themselves off their phones regardless of how it may be rude or inappropriate. Other friends I have are much more tasteful about it. As far as meals and stuff like that it's generally an unspoken rule not to be messing with your phone/device when interacting directly with others, especially with my family. Friends is a bit more casual.

 

[ian]

Its not an age thing, I'm old and I'm always using my phone, even while walking. I don't particularly care what anyone thinks of it, or whether it is rude or anything.
Its evolution, you get used to judging people around you and avoiding crashing into them, unless you get some old person who has some grudge about people walking with their cell phones and its like they want to bump into you on purpose and curse you out.
That being said I dont look at the phone while driving, its illegal here, and I dont look at my phone while crossing the street.

 

[_Pete_]

Its not an age thing, I'm old and I'm always using my phone, even while walking. I don't particularly care what anyone thinks of it, or whether it is rude or anything.
Its evolution, you get used to judging people around you and avoiding crashing into them, unless you get some old person who has some grudge about people walking with their cell phones and its like they want to bump into you on purpose and curse you out.
That being said I dont look at the phone while driving, its illegal here, and I dont look at my phone while crossing the street.

And there you have it folks.

 

[Geoff]

Its not an age thing, I'm old and I'm always using my phone, even while walking. I don't particularly care what anyone thinks of it, or whether it is rude or anything.
Its evolution, you get used to judging people around you and avoiding crashing into them, unless you get some old person who has some grudge about people walking with their cell phones and its like they want to bump into you on purpose and curse you out.
That being said I dont look at the phone while driving, its illegal here, and I dont look at my phone while crossing the street.

This is true, most of us are surprisingly capable of walking around and being aware of our surroundings, even when using a phone.

 

[ian]

If I have to look at something in depth, I will stop and use my phone, but to quickly glance at something, or do something quickly I use my phone when walking.
Life is too short to worry about what other people think. And in real life, the only people I have heard complain about it, they have had some old phone with a keypad or a flip phone from the dark ages.

 

[speedyink]

What the hell do people do on those things that requires so much attention? I get bored after looking at mine for more than 10 minutes, then I'm good for hours. There's only so much activity on a website in a day, so there's no point and sitting there hitting refresh. Facebook is just the same old stupid shit over and over, so my visits there have gotten extremely short. I can only take so many unfunny memes or "my face when" or I guess it's now just "When" pictures. Snap chat or whatever apps the kids are using nowadays are just beyond me how anyone can find that entertaining.

On the plus side, I get wicked battery life compared to most people it seems. I can get about 3 days before needing a charge out of my S7. Not quite the amount of time I'd get on my trusty 'ol Sony Ericsson feature phone, but a far cry from not making it through a full day. I even turn my phone off at night, which is like unheard of to some people. I get "well what if someone needs to get ahold of you??" I'm freakin sleeping, it can wait till the morning.

 

[ian]

My phone lasts me from the time I leave the house till I get home, that's about it, iPhone has awesome battery life compared to my note 4
I use my phone for share trading, email, chat, plenty of stuff to keep you entertained

 

[Geoff]

What the hell do people do on those things that requires so much attention? I get bored after looking at mine for more than 10 minutes, then I'm good for hours. There's only so much activity on a website in a day, so there's no point and sitting there hitting refresh. Facebook is just the same old stupid shit over and over, so my visits there have gotten extremely short. I can only take so many unfunny memes or "my face when" or I guess it's now just "When" pictures. Snap chat or whatever apps the kids are using nowadays are just beyond me how anyone can find that entertaining.

On the plus side, I get wicked battery life compared to most people it seems. I can get about 3 days before needing a charge out of my S7. Not quite the amount of time I'd get on my trusty 'ol Sony Ericsson feature phone, but a far cry from not making it through a full day. I even turn my phone off at night, which is like unheard of to some people. I get "well what if someone needs to get ahold of you??" I'm freakin sleeping, it can wait till the morning.

If the only internet-related thing you do on your smartphone is visit websites, you're using smartphones wrong

In addition to half a dozen social media apps, the one I use most is Instagram. I follow a lot of professional photographers and friends and love seeing and commenting on photos they take, it also helps to give me ideas for future photos myself. Then I can kill an hour watching YouTube, browse Tapatalk, Reddit, etc.

 

[speedyink]

If the only internet-related thing you do on your smartphone is visit websites, you're using smartphones wrong

In addition to half a dozen social media apps, the one I use most is Instagram. I follow a lot of professional photographers and friends and love seeing and commenting on photos they take, it also helps to give me ideas for future photos myself. Then I can kill an hour watching YouTube, browse Tapatalk, Reddit, etc.

Ummm.... Google Maps! I've used that! Maybe my interests are just different than a lot of people. Honestly, I've tried some social media things..they're cool the first couple times I use it, but I get bored of them so quickly. I think the one I tried was instagram, and...oh man, can't even remember the other one, Tumbler maybe? It was photo based as well though. Otherwise, my preferred method of contact is still text message or phone call or email if need be. I do watch Youtube, I usually do it at home though. Actually there are times when I want to marvel at my screen so I watch 1440p nature vids on the Youtube app. Phones have some pretty ridiculously awesome screens nowadays. The rest of the time I'm out and about and wanna listen to a random song I thought of, but Youtube won't let me turn my screen off!

There is one game I do really like on it though, Horizon Chase. I like it because there's nothing "freemium" about it, you just buy it and play it. No annoying useless popups asking me to advertise for them on my facebook.