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The Annoyed Man wrote:

Abraham wrote:Yes cell/smart phones provide benefits, but their use by many is pathological and ever increasing as the world seems to be taken over by these things.

OK, I'll agree with this. Example....... I do occasionally send and receive text messages from my phone, but I refuse to use texting as my primary means of communication. I mentor young men at my church, and sponsor others in CR, and the younger ones seem to think that texting is a perfectly normal means of communication......but I maintain that you CANNOT have a satisfactory conversation with someone by texting. If someone wants to have a conversation with me, CALL me. Texting is a lousy way to communicate. It takes longer too to type a lot of words out, then simply phoning and speaking. But a lot young whippersnappers would rather text.

I don't get it.

Funny you mention this TAM. I laugh when I hear one of these whippersnappers refer to texting as talking. Catch one one of them while they are in the throws of texting away and ask them, "What are you doing?". You will be surprised how often they respond with, "Oh nothing. Just talking to so and so.".

A good friend of mine tells me that the only way he can communicate with his son is through texting. He can call his son's number and he will not answer. He can text him just after hanging up and his son will immediately text back.

I don't get it either.

tomtexan wrote:A good friend of mine tells me that the only way he can communicate with his son is through texting. He can call his son's number and he will not answer. He can text him just after hanging up and his son will immediately text back.

I don't get it either.

Another common practice! I have had people text me back right after they don't answer.

I have my smartphone set up to text the caller right back after I hit the ignore button with a preset message.

mojo84 wrote:I have my smartphone set up to text the caller right back after I hit the ignore button with a preset message.

I found that feature on my iPhone this past weekend. I was not sure how it worked. I thought it would send the message if I didn't answer. I get it now.

Can I set up an auto respond text that reads, "If you really gave a crap, you would have just answered the phone."

The Annoyed Man wrote: OK, I'll agree with this. Example....... I do occasionally send and receive text messages from my phone, but I refuse to use texting as my primary means of communication. I mentor young men at my church, and sponsor others in CR, and the younger ones seem to think that texting is a perfectly normal means of communication......but I maintain that you CANNOT have a satisfactory conversation with someone by texting. If someone wants to have a conversation with me, CALL me. Texting is a lousy way to communicate. It takes longer too to type a lot of words out, then simply phoning and speaking. But a lot young whippersnappers would rather text.

I don't get it.

Just personal opinion but I think texting has flourished for several reasons. I think people like to think that they can "multitask". They think they can keep several conversation going at the same time hoping back and forth. If one is running 4 conversations I think each conversation is probably getting about 20% of the whole attention span with the remaining 20% going in to lost productivity and conversational overhead and distraction. I also think people like to text because they don't have to face the consequences of a real life conversation. They can text and run to turn a phrase. They can drive by and deliver some piece of info and keep on going. Returning to the conversation when they feel like it. They can escape the conversation itself and not have to deal with handling it... Probably lots of reasons.

We are raising a nation of zombies. The other day I was walking through the store and a mom was pushing her cart and right behind her came her three little zombies. Probably aged 5-8, each one their nose almost stuck to their own iPads. Making all kinds of beeps and whistles. One was watching cartoons. She walked right into my cart and said ouch. Mom looked over at me and gave me a dirty look. I started to say "hey your kid cant watch where they are going with their nose stuck in an ipad" but didn't want more aggravation that day so I just walked away...

"I also think people like to text because they don't have to face the consequences of a real life conversation."

Bingo!

"We are raising a nation of zombies."

Bingo again!!

Bringing up baby zombies, wow, just wow!

"A good friend of mine tells me that the only way he can communicate with his son is through texting. He can call his son's number and he will not answer. He can text him just after hanging up and his son will immediately text back."

See the first quote.

"I tried avoiding it..."

"I had friends that just hounded me into communicating via that means."

Remember the old parental question: If everybody was jumping off a bridge would you do the same...? Cmon, peer pressure (in this case anyway) is for adolescents.

Resistance isn't futile.

No amount of hounding by "friends" could force me into texting as the only and/or major means of technical communication.

I see an underlying evil in some of the misuse and recruitment tactics for these devices.

Abraham wrote:
Remember the old parental question: If everybody was jumping off a bridge would you do the same...? Cmon, peer pressure (in this case anyway) is for adolescents.

Resistance isn't futile.

Fair enough... I eventually caved to some level of peer pressure. I communicate via text with those who text me.

There are business cases where I wouldn't "upgrade" to a phone call. It's too invasive, but I have a 24/7/365 job..

The hyperbole used by those that are resistant to using a new tool that millions upon millions find useful and efficient is interesting to me. Yes, many do overuse their phones and spend to much time focusing on them. However, many do not. Many actually find them very useful tools that increases their productivity, reduces stress, increases efficiency and improves quality of life substantially.

Just think what the stinking telephone did to human interactions and relationships when it was invented. People started talking to people from long distances instead of hitching up the wagon and going to meet with people face to face or send a letter. Isn't a face to face meeting so much better than talking to someone through a device that you can't see the other person's face. Just think of the damage email has done to writing letters and the postal service.

Just as with anything, moderation is the key. There are going to be people that overuse and abuse just about anything including technology. There will be those that under-utilize technology and operate less efficiently. There will be those that use it just right. (Goldilocks and the Three Bears come to mind?)

mojo84 wrote:The hyperbole used by those that are resistant to using a new tool that millions upon millions find useful and efficient is interesting to me. Yes, many do overuse their phones and spend to much time focusing on them. However, many do not. Many actually find them very useful tools that increases their productivity, reduces stress, increases efficiency and improves quality of life substantially.

Just think what the stinking telephone did to human interactions and relationships when it was invented. People started talking to people from long distances instead of hitching up the wagon and going to meet with people face to face or send a letter. Isn't a face to face meeting so much better than talking to someone through a device that you can't see the other person's face. Just think of the damage email has done to writing letters and the postal service.

Just as with anything, moderation is the key. There are going to be people that overuse and abuse just about anything including technology. There will be those that under-utilize technology and operate less efficiently. There will be those that use it just right. (Goldilocks and the Three Bears come to mind?)

My only problem is with un-smart smart phone owners

Syntyr wrote:We are raising a nation of zombies. The other day I was walking through the store and a mom was pushing her cart and right behind her came her three little zombies. Probably aged 5-8, each one their nose almost stuck to their own iPads. Making all kinds of beeps and whistles. One was watching cartoons. She walked right into my cart and said ouch. Mom looked over at me and gave me a dirty look. I started to say "hey your kid cant watch where they are going with their nose stuck in an ipad" but didn't want more aggravation that day so I just walked away...

That reminds me of this story. http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/07/ ... rents-sue/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It’s hard to decide who are the biggest morons in this story: parents or daughter. 15 year-old Alexa Longueira was walking along Victory Boulevard in Staten Island when she fell into an open manhole.

Why didn’t she see it? You’re ahead of me here. She was too intent on tapping out a text message to notice the gaping gap in the sidewalk and just dropped straight on in.

mojo84 wrote:The hyperbole used by those that are resistant to using a new tool that millions upon millions find useful and efficient is interesting to me. Yes, many do overuse their phones and spend to much time focusing on them. However, many do not. Many actually find them very useful tools that increases their productivity, reduces stress, increases efficiency and improves quality of life substantially.

Just think what the stinking telephone did to human interactions and relationships when it was invented. People started talking to people from long distances instead of hitching up the wagon and going to meet with people face to face or send a letter. Isn't a face to face meeting so much better than talking to someone through a device that you can't see the other person's face. Just think of the damage email has done to writing letters and the postal service.

Just as with anything, moderation is the key. There are going to be people that overuse and abuse just about anything including technology. There will be those that under-utilize technology and operate less efficiently. There will be those that use it just right. (Goldilocks and the Three Bears come to mind?)

Perhaps. My admittedly unscientific study of smart phone users in public (as opposed to those who have them but are not using them in pubic) is that 90% have all but abandoned all means of human interaction except their smart phone. While any phone accomplish the same thing, it appears to be the smart phone users who are the ones who must be on their phones in the store or governmental department lines, even when there are specific signs asking that those devices be turned off when conducting business.

There are certain things - devices, food - that seem to lend themselves to excess. The original telephones as you point out with the talking long distance examples did not because there was a financial disincentive. The monopoly AT&T charged an arm and leg for those long distance calls. In this era of "unlimited", that seems to be what many smart phone users are willing to partake of.

I freely admit that some of my hesitancy to get a smart phone is based on my concern that I, too, might be wooed by "unlimited".

chasfm1,

"Perhaps. My admittedly unscientific study of smart phone users in public (as opposed to those who have them but are not using them in pubic) is that 90% have all but abandoned all means of human interaction except their smart phone. While any phone accomplish the same thing, it appears to be the smart phone users who are the ones who must be on their phones in the store or governmental department lines, even when there are specific signs asking that those devices be turned off when conducting business."

The above is what I witness with regularity.

The above isn't one of resistance to new technology.

The above isn't hyperbole - it's commonplace.

Not only is it commonplace, it worsens daily...

My 'smart phone' anecdote: I attended a place where a group of us cigar smokers (I've since quit) would meet to drink coffee, smoke cigars and chat.

As time progressed with the advent of cell phones, roughly a third of the guys would be on their cell phones, annoying those of us who wanted to have a discussion.

Finally, smart phones came along and almost all of the guys were glued to them rather than socially interact. They were scanning the internet or playing a game and texting.

I quit going to this place.

What was the point of going and being alone with a crowd more interested in smart phone interaction being the their focus rather than social interaction?

tomtexan wrote:A good friend of mine tells me that the only way he can communicate with his son is through texting. He can call his son's number and he will not answer. He can text him just after hanging up and his son will immediately text back.

I don't get it either.

It is a way to avoid a real conversation. texters know that texting is short and sweet. I even do it some when I want to convey information and I do not really want to talk to the person. ;)