Cellphone Epidemic

[Blair]

I don't get it.

Everywhere I go, people have these things seemingly glued to their hands or ears.

Discuss...

[Dan Rowden]

I think the cell-phone has brought out some of the underlying insanity of people - the kind of madness that has always been there simmering under the surface. People quite literally can't go 10 minutes without touching base with another person. I rather expect this behaviour from females, but it's disturbing to see so many young males caught up in the same mentality. I think the technology itself is great, but the behaviour it brings out is severely screwy.

[Edit: fixed a typo: makes/males]

[Diebert van Rhijn]

The beneficial aspect of such massive abuse must be the price dropping to almost nothing - just in case you ever need one.

The Internet would be hardly affordable without its non-stop porn, chat, ads, spam, entertainment and gossip. And here you are - riding the beast!

[DHodges]

Yeah, the other day I saw a kid writing a text message while he was bicycling down the street.

[Rem]

Now first of all, cellphones these days are more functional than they ever were. Part of the increase in use is probably because of the higher utility factor. You can surf the web, send emails, keep your agenda, listen to music/radio, etc.. It's a handy little media device. There are a number of people who use the cellphone for their professional life, staying on the move and arranging things from their mobile phone instead of their office.

Unfortunatly, a lot of (young) people don't even bother to look at these features or see their usefulness apart from checking their myspace friendslist, or uploading one of those weird-angle photos to it. Instead they call and text as if it was breathing, and to them it is breathing. The cellphone is their new heroine; instant ego stroking bliss in a battery powered box. At least, this is my experience with my peers.

[Carl G]

I don't think anyone could dispute the usefulness of cellphones. But they do add to the psychosis of people by tending to pull them away from the here and now (into the hear and now?). I see people walk down the street and push carts down the supermarket aisles seemingly oblivious to their surroundings, now even more so with the phone to their ear, and yakking. A lot of conversation in life is purely superfluous anyway, and this new technology just allows greater torrents of the mind, crowding out the possibility for awareness, self-reflection, and genuine thinking.

[brokenhead]

I don't think anyone could dispute the usefulness of cellphones. But they do add to the psychosis of people by tending to pull them away from the here and now (into the hear and now?). I see people walk down the street and push carts down the supermarket aisles seemingly oblivious to their surroundings, now even more so with the phone to their ear, and yakking. A lot of conversation in life is purely superfluous anyway, and this new technology just allows greater torrents of the mind, crowding out the possibility for awareness, self-reflection, and genuine thinking.

It's even more specific. Researchers have found that people talking on cellphones tend to keep their eyes focused on one spot - not moving around like you need to do while driving, say.

[brokenhead]

Yeah, the other day I saw a kid writing a text message while he was bicycling down the street.

Not much worse than some ditzy broad talking to her nanny on the cellphone while checking her makeup in the rear view mirror.

[Diebert van Rhijn]

I suspect the cellphone addicts have no inner life at all so they must continuously create some outer stimulus [an i-device]. Being it music, photo, video, texting, constant updates on large or small events. People with inner lifes [actualized self, thoughts, imagination, active and open senses] are not welcoming such interruption and stimulus at all. It actually only works confusing, like drinking coffee while you're already wide awake - the extra buzz only diminishes it all.

My proposal to those exposed to this regularly would be to strike back with carrying jamming devices. They shouldn't be so difficult to build or purchase if some of the more electronic wizards here could assist. :-]

[samadhi]

Seems there's a lot of resentment towards those who talk on cellphones. People talk to each other, get over it.

[DHodges]

My proposal to those exposed to this regularly would be to strike back with carrying jamming devices. They shouldn't be so difficult to build or purchase if some of the more electronic wizards here could assist. :-]

If you google "cell phone jammer" you will see that they already exist. However, they are quite illegal (presumably because they could block emergency calls).

[brokenhead]

My proposal to those exposed to this regularly would be to strike back with carrying jamming devices. They shouldn't be so difficult to build or purchase if some of the more electronic wizards here could assist. :-]

That's a little extreme. But there is a new neurosis cropping up: being separated from your cellphone. Even when not talking on them, cellphone users derive a sense of comfort just having one on their person. Studies have shown that people who are used to carrying a cellphone, when this cellphone is taken away from them, suffer classic anxiety symptoms, specifically separation anxiety.

Seems there's a lot of resentment towards those who talk on cellphones. People talk to each other, get over it.

There is a huge difference between talking to the person next to you in the passenger seat while you are driving, and talking to someone who cannot see what you are seeing while driving. It's not a question of resentment, sam. People do not automatically know how best to use new technology. Some US states are enacting "hands-free" laws concerning cellphone usage in cars; this is a step in the right direction. Once you get into a motor vehicle to drive, your primary responsibility is the safe operation of that motor vehicle.

[Carl G]

Seems there's a lot of resentment towards those who talk on cellphones. People talk to each other, get over it.

I take this as humor, but somehow I suspect you are serious.

[Ryan Rudolph]

Apparently western-style schools are having a difficult time with students playing games, using text messaging, internet, mp3 players, and so on, on their wireless phones in the middle of class. The amount of different ways young people can subsume themselves in entertainment is increasing, as technology becomes cheaper, and easily accessible in any space at all.

Eventually, the internet will probably be in available in any space on earth. Intelligent humans will take advantage of such an intellectual resource, while unintelligent ones will exploit it. And in such an advanced technocratic atmosphere, it continue to become easier for unconscious humans to avoid reality through superficial activities.

Who knows, eventually, you might have advanced virtual reality worlds where unintelligent people can live out most their entire lives hooked up to machines, feeling egotistical thrills to their hearts delight. Actually, online communities such as Second Life have attracted quite a few regulars who are pretty much addicted to their projected fantasy self in the game... and such a world is quite rudimentary compared to what is possible.

Carl,

I take this as humor, but somehow I suspect you are serious.

yeah, he is serious, and his egotistical defense of free-will shines through yet again...

[samadhi]

Carl,

sam: Seems there's a lot of resentment towards those who talk on cellphones. People talk to each other, get over it.

Carl: I take this as humor, but somehow I suspect you are serious.

Sure I am. Who suffers from your resentment, those who talk on cellphones or you? Let them talk if they want to. Just because they do it and you don't doesn't mean you are holier than they are. It just means people like talking on cellphones and you don't.



Ryan,

yeah, he is serious, and his egotistical defense of free-will shines through yet again...

Well, your blaming cellphone users for their "caused" behavior smacks of free will too, don't you think?

[Ryan Rudolph]

Sam,

Well, your blaming cellphone users for their "caused" behavior smacks of free will too, don't you think?

It's not blaming, its criticizing. Big Difference.

[samadhi]

It's not blaming, its criticizing. Big Difference.

Lol ... I'm sure it is ...

[Dan Rowden]

Seems there's a lot of resentment towards those who talk on cellphones. People talk to each other, get over it.

Some of us care about sanity, Sam -get over it.

[Carl G]

Carl,

sam: Seems there's a lot of resentment towards those who talk on cellphones. People talk to each other, get over it.

Carl: I take this as humor, but somehow I suspect you are serious.

sam: Sure I am. Who suffers from your resentment, those who talk on cellphones or you? Let them talk if they want to. Just because they do it and you don't doesn't mean you are holier than they are. It just means people like talking on cellphones and you don't.

Fuck. You're more of an emptyhead than I thought. This isn't about resentment. It's about judging obsessional cellphone use in relation to health, and ultimately, enlightenment. Your chirping about people doing what they want and someone else not liking it makes you sound like one of those 70s I'm -okay-you're-okay pop psychologists. Nobody's talking about stopping people from talking.

[samadhi]

Carl,

sam: Seems there's a lot of resentment towards those who talk on cellphones. People talk to each other, get over it.

Carl: I take this as humor, but somehow I suspect you are serious.

sam: Sure I am. Who suffers from your resentment, those who talk on cellphones or you? Let them talk if they want to. Just because they do it and you don't doesn't mean you are holier than they are. It just means people like talking on cellphones and you don't.

Carl: Fuck. You're more of an emptyhead than I thought. This isn't about resentment. It's about judging obsessional cellphone use in relation to health, and ultimately, enlightenment. Your chirping about people doing what they want and someone else not liking it makes you sound like one of those 70s I'm -okay-you're-okay pop psychologists. Nobody's talking about stopping people from talking.

Oh please, get over yourself. You complain about cellphone chatter and you think it's about enlightenment? Lol, that's hilarious.

If you don't like cellphones, I suggest you avoid them. But if you make it about others and how terrible they act, well, the least you can do is not pretend it has anything to do with enlightenment. Enlightenment is not about being cranky, pointing fingers and whining.

[Dan Rowden]

Which is why hardly anything you say is ever about enlightenment. You're such a hypocrite, Sam. And since when have sane mental states not been relevant to enlightenment?

[Carl G]

Oh please, get over yourself.

This isn't about me.

You complain about cellphone chatter

I do not, liar.

and you think it's about enlightenment? Lol, that's hilarious.

Yes, the issue has ultimate implications to enlightenment. You think that's funny, and it says a lot about you.

If you don't like cellphones, I suggest you avoid them.

Okay, Doctor Phil, but that's not what this topic is about.

But if you make it about others and how terrible they act,

Did I say terrible? No, that's right out of your imagination.

well, the least you can do is not pretend it has anything to do with enlightenment.

I don't think you know much about enlightenment.

Enlightenment is not about being cranky, pointing fingers and whining.

Exactly. So maybe you could stop doing just that.

[brad walker]

A disturbing case study

Internet + email's another huge addiction but not as visible as phone addiction.

[brokenhead]

Isn't this a "Worldly Matters" kind of thread...?

[Philosophaster]

Cell phone use in the car more dangerous than drunk driving.

I don't think that cell phones themselves are necessarily a problem, it's just that many people seem to let them dominate their lives. It's no longer considered rude to interrupt a conversation and suddenly start talking to someone else. I find it pretty annoying, at least.

Cell phones are one of many ways that people have accustomed themselves to interruptions. Many people seem to have lost the ability to pay attention to one thing for any longer than a couple minutes.