Pretending to look at your phone

Premeditated Joke

I'm not sure if this has been discussed before but a conversation needs to be had about this. You know that moment when you enter the break room at work, and everybody has their head in their phone?

I never made a point in pretending to look at my phone until one day I noticed something. It was a day that I was in the break room with another person, and by coincidence I happened to be on my phone, which would've be rare for me. After a few minutes, I looked up and the other fella apposite me was just chilling out drinking his tea. But apart from drinking his tea he was, as such, unoccupied. Now I'm not saying this made him seem creepy, but let's just say he didn't exactly seem the coolest at the time. It made me think about how I might come across to others when there's not many in the room, and I'm the one who's not on their phone... just sitting there eating.

What do they all be looking at anyway? Okay maybe they do have things to look at, but what do they do once they've seen all the latest stupid posts from their friends? They keep the end down, that's what. And mean while the person at the other side of the table has also seen all their friends updates after a few minutes too. There might be 20 minutes left of break time, and it will remain as silence because one person thinks the other is busy, and they themselves want to be seen as busy too so that they won't look odd. Isn't this really what going on with most people. Before you could strike up a conversation with someone without looking less cool than them.

You know how you can tell that they're never interested in what they're looking at? It's because if you start having a average conversation with someone else in the room, the person on their phone will always drop it and join in. Ever notice that? It's funny how the best chats I have at work these days are out on the shop floor. Ironically when I meet the same person in the canteen later, it's often dead quite. Sadly when I'm in the break room, I make sure to get out the phone and pretend to be looking at it while I eat. Sometimes i can think of a few things that I can do on it, but mostly I'm just pretending. And when I'm pretending, the screen keeps going dim because it's not being touched. I think I'll need to practice it!

Do you pretend to look at your phone? Answer honestly.

Rufeo

How do you spend so much time writing all that

Premeditated Joke

Rufeo wrote: »

How do you spend so much time writing all that

how did you read it so fast?

jimbobaloobob

Hmmm what?

Sorry, I didn't quite catch that. I was busy feigning indifference.

weldoninhio

Premeditated Joke wrote: »

I'm not sure if this has been discussed before, but you know that moment when you enter the canteen or break room at work, and everybody has their head in their phone?

I never made a point in pretending to look at my phone until one day I noticed something. It was a day that I was in the break room with another person, and by coincidence I happened to be on my phone, which would've be rare for me. After a few minutes, I looked up and the other fella apposite me was just chilling out drinking his tea. But apart from drinking his tea he was, as such, unoccupied. I'm not saying this made him seem creepy, but let's just say he didn't exactly seem the coolest. It made me think about how I might come across to others when there's not many in the room, and it looks like I'm just sitting there eating.

It's funny how the best chats I have at work these days are out on the shop floor. Ironically when I meet the same person in the canteen later, it's often dead quite. Sadly when I'm in the break room, I make sure to get out the phone and pretend to be looking at it while I eat. Sometimes i can think of a few things that I can do on it, but mostly I'm just pretending. And when I'm pretending, the screen keeps going dim.

What do they all be looking at anyway? Okay maybe they do have things to look at, but what do they do once they've seen all the latest stupid posts from their friends? They keep the end down, that's what. And mean while the person at the other side of the table has also seen all their friends updates after a few minutes too. There might be 20 minutes left of break time, and it will remain as silence because one person thinks the other is busy, and they themselves want to be seen as busy too so that they won't look odd. Isn't this really what going on with most people. Before you could strike up a conversation with someone without looking less cool than them.

You know how you can tell that they're never interested in what they're looking at? It's because if you start having a average conversation with someone else in the room, they always drop the phone and join in. I never liked to doing two things at the once anyway when it came to eating and looking at my phone. I think I don't enjoy my food as much otherwise.

You really should have kept this for a book. It’d be a best seller. Content like this is too good to give away for free. Delete it and link to your blog and charge for it.

elperello

Just buy the Irish Times and pretend to read it.
They'll all think you are an intellectual.

beejee

Long since given up the habit of "I have nothing to do for 3 minutes, need to look at phone"

It's actually close to pleasurable sometimes, eating lunch like a Lord surveying everyone else with their heads bowed down.

Or on transport, or in a queue, anywhere!

It's an almost surreal sense of freedom to look at others unable to have a single minutes peace to themselves.

Redneck Reject71

To be honest, people stare at their phones too much. When in town, I always see people with headphones in and staring at theirs. Oblivious to what's going on around them. That is why I still keep my trusty Nokia 3310,to keep me away from all that temptation,heh.

Leg End Reject

Is this a standard work place or a sponsored one?

jaxxx

TL;DR

beejee

jaxxx wrote: »

TL;DR

TS;DR

Woke Hogan

weldoninhio wrote: »

You really should have kept this for a book. It’d be a best seller. Content like this is too good to give away for free. Delete it and link to your blog and charge for it.

Don’t give up the day job.

branie2

I've never done it

Premeditated Joke

Redneck Reject71 wrote: »

That is why I still keep my trusty Nokia 3310,to keep me away from all that temptation,heh.

I don't even find it to be that tempting.

weldoninhio

Woke Hogan wrote: »

Don’t give up the day job.

Why would I? I’ve bills to pay.

dartboardio

Everyones stupid, smart comments..

That is whats wrong with the world right now.

Yes, I hear you OP. Often walk into the canteen in work and it's like aload of zombies, all pretending to be busy on their phone, to avoid looking awkward staring into space, or avoiding going out of their way to talk to people.


Pity the world is like this nowadays.. quite sad really

cj maxx

dartboardio wrote: »

Everyones stupid, smart comments..

That is whats wrong with the world right now.

Yes, I hear you OP. Often walk into the canteen in work and it's like aload of zombies, all pretending to be busy on their phone, to avoid looking awkward staring into space, or avoiding going out of their way to talk to people.


Pity the world is like this nowadays.. quite sad really

It's really not imo.

Premeditated Joke

cjmc wrote: »

It's really not imo.

Not even a little?

Premeditated Joke

dartboardio wrote: »

Often walk into the canteen in work and it's like aload of zombies

You nailed it.

dartboardio

cjmc wrote: »

It's really not imo.

Yeah right.

dartboardio

Premeditated Joke wrote: »

You nailed it.

Hilarious, very cool of you to pretend it's normal for people in every social situation to have their heads buried in their phones to avoid making conversation or similar.

Premeditated Joke

jimbobaloobob wrote: »

Hmmm what?

Wittiest put down I've ever heard.

ILoveYourVibes

I pretend to be writing something.

shadydestroyer

There's a few people i get on with in work and chat away but then there's some I wouldn't even bother say to hello or attempt to have a conversation with. If they try to talk to me I just nod.

The high horse types that I just have no time for and the types that work means everything to them and would try throw you under a bus if the opportunity arises and would lick some of the heady guys Arses clean after taking a ****e.

I have no interest in talking to you so please don't try and make conversation with me cause I have no interest.

I often grunted and roll eyed at one or two of em as well when they attempted to talk to me.

Premeditated Joke

shadydestroyer wrote: »

but then there's some I wouldn't even bother say to hello or attempt to have a conversation with.

So do you think they're stuck up or do they think you're stuck up?

jimbobaloobob

Premeditated Joke wrote: »

Wittiest put down I've ever heard.

Wasn’t a put down at all. Why not enjoy your breaks for what they are and not be second guessing what other people are doing.

shadydestroyer

Premeditated Joke wrote: »

So do you think they're stuck up or do they think you're stuck up?

No there stuck up, I enjoy the craic, not someone who's up their own hole.

Premeditated Joke

jimbobaloobob wrote: »

Wasn’t a put down at all. Why not enjoy your breaks for what they are and not be second guessing what other people are doing.

Why try and shut down the discussion? What your beef here?

Dakota Dan

dartboardio wrote: »

Everyones stupid, smart comments..

That is whats wrong with the world right now.

Yes, I hear you OP. Often walk into the canteen in work and it's like aload of zombies, all pretending to be busy on their phone, to avoid looking awkward staring into space, or avoiding going out of their way to talk to people.


Pity the world is like this nowadays.. quite sad really

The op made a short story long which was their downfall as many posters couldn't arsed reading it.

jimbobaloobob

Premeditated Joke wrote: »

Why try and shut down the discussion? What your beef here?

Again running away with your opinions

Premeditated Joke

jimbobaloobob wrote: »

Wasn’t a put down at all. Why not enjoy your breaks for what they are and not be second guessing what other people are doing.

You say why not, I say 'why?'. It's in my nature to question things.

tjdaly

Marvellous work OP. I look forward to your next offering. I can see the direction you're going and I think you have serious potential.

cj maxx

Premeditated Joke wrote: »

Not even a little?

No . If I sit beside someone , I might do something on my phone . They might. No biggie. its not a big deal. Most people can chat normally while fb-ing or whatever . It's a Time filler , that's all.
if someone took out their phone while I was talking to them and was scrolling away while continuing to chat so what?
A tip for you OP. If someone grabs their phone and looks to be immersed in it, they just don't want to chat to you.
It might be them. It might be you
Just move chairs beside someone more sociable.
Before mobile phones it was newspapers . People don't all work to your schedule

grindle

People might have more going on in their heads than just scrolling throuugh friend's status updates, the internet exists beyond Facebook abd other timesucks. Between Reddit and hobbies I could easily (sanity or time permitting) spend a full 24hrs of each and every day reading or learning about things that interest me and never ever reach an end to content.

radiotrickster

Premeditated Joke wrote: »

What do they all be looking at anyway? Okay maybe they do have things to look at, but what do they do once they've seen all the latest stupid posts from their friends?

Do you pretend to look at your phone? Answer honestly.

You know there are more apps out there than those that just show 'stupid posts' on social media sites? I spend a lot of my breaks reading ebooks, writing articles, researching things to do with my hobbies, keeping up to date with the news, etc.

Sometimes your phone is the best way to let you actually have a break. After working a few hours with people, all I want is a rest and some peace and time to myself during lunch. The only time I only pretend to look at my phone is when I don't want to talk to someone and haven't got the energy to actually concentrate on my phone. Otherwise, I'll just genuinely look at my phone.

Jinglejangle69

Maybe people just don't enjoy mundane boring conversation just for the sake of it.

Church on Tuesday

I have my phone off unless I really need it for something.

I hate phones, they have destroyed the art of conversation and I personally find them intrusive.

freshpopcorn

I have done it if I simply didn't want to talk to somebody. Some people are simply annoying and boring and it's handy to have something that makes you look busy.

NIMAN

Redneck Reject71 wrote: »

To be honest, people stare at their phones too much. When in town, I always see people with headphones in and staring at theirs. Oblivious to what's going on around them. That is why I still keep my trusty Nokia 3310,to keep me away from all that temptation,heh.

Is that you Tubs?

Owldshtok

Smartphones have spawned a generation of cyborgs with the metal parts outside of their bodies.

punisher5112

How can one pretend to look at there phone if they actually are looking at their phone.....

Probably looking up porn.

stoneill

Nobody looks out bus windows anymore, all with head down on their little screens in their virtual world while the real one is just there.

I was standing naked in the garden as the bus went by, not one person saw me.

So disappointing.

stoneill

stoneill wrote: »

Nobody looks out bus windows anymore, all with head down on their little screens in their virtual world while the real one is just there.

I was standing naked in the garden as the bus went by, not one person saw me.

So disappointing.

I did! Shocking, it was!

punisher5112

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I did! Shocking, it was!

Take a photo it last longer

dohouch

Our phone addiction, (but not mine!) is a form of voluntary autism. ( this is a quote I came across somewhere)

weldoninhio

stoneill wrote: »

Nobody looks out bus windows anymore, all with head down on their little screens in their virtual world while the real one is just there.

I was standing naked in the garden as the bus went by, not one person saw me.

So disappointing.

I rarely, if ever, look at my phone on the bus. I normally have a book with me.

The fact is that phones are more interesting that people. Actually, most things are more interesting than people these days. I’d love it to be different and like days past, but that’s long gone and if people tend to be on the phone around you a lot then maybe you should look a bit closer to home for the reason.

El_Duderino 09

Sometimes people just want a break during their break. Sometimes the same people want to chat during their break. This should not be new information to you, OP.

Sometimes people go into the canteen for a break and don't want to chat until someone invites them for a chat, and then they enjoy the chat.

Or maybe people.just don't enjoy chatting to you. Other people can do whatever they want. I wouldn't think about what other people are thinking of me in the canteen.

El_Duderino 09

Church on Tuesday wrote: »

I they have destroyed the art of conversation and I personally find them intrusive.

Is that just something people say or do you actually believe it?

Somehow, in this age of the destroyed art of conversation, I manage to have chats with people. Some people are really isteresting, some are really boring and most are somewhere in between.

If everywhere you go you find the art of conversation is destroyed, then maybe you're not a great conversationalist.

Knowing when people want to chat and when they don't, is pretty important.

El_Duderino 09

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

Is that just something people say or do you actually believe it?

Somehow, in this age of the destroyed art of conversation, I manage to have chats with people. Some people are really isteresting, some are really boring and most are somewhere in between.

If everywhere you go you find the art of conversation is destroyed, then maybe you're not a great conversationalist.

Knowing when people want to chat and when they don't, is pretty important.

It’s easier to blame something else than look at yourself though.