Anyone else getting sick of smartphones?

Sh1tbag OToole · 24-07-2016 10:40PM

eeguy wrote: »

Or they didn't show up. And you didn't know why and waited an hour in the rain under Clery's clock.

That's down to the people you follow and communicate with. People obviously do want to see it or they wouldn't share it.
Most of my friends share stuff I'm interested in, so I'm very happy.

Just the times we live in. You can also use your smartphone to only look at "good" news.

People are much more social now. If I'm going to the cinema in 30 mins I can tell my friends in a group chat, and we all co-ordinate and meet at the right place at the right time. Group chats are deadly.
No more sh*t of "I call this person, you call that person" in a game of Chinese Whispers.

Also, meetup.com, tinder and so many other apps have revolutionised socialising.
People used to worry about older rural people becoming isolated. Smartphones and the internet mean that anyone can talk to a person at any time of the day.

Back then they would have been more likely to show up. People are lackadaisical about what they commit to now. They'll sign up for 3 or 4 things then when it gets closer to the date they might pick 1 and cancel the rest or don't go to any.

Even if I banished those folk ages ago, they're still out there wasting their own time. Doesn't affect me but still not great

You could look at only waterford whispers or something but tis still a mind numbing waste of time.

I really don't think people are more social now. Back in the 90's even there was a constant stream of people landing up to the house for chats. Thats all gone now, people take a gander at someone's bacefook and think they're in touch with them. No more real people. Ould people keep telling me there was way more of this 'way back in the day' there would always cook dinner for someone extra who would inevitably show up and so on.

Now we need a silly app and some American company to help us organise our own shindigs. Its amazing how people have come to rely on these apps as a crutch for daily socialising. Meetup is a bit of a laugh too, thousands of people signing up with good intentions but only a few fistfuls of regular people actually going to the events. Its a brilliant idea but with most of these things when you walk in the door first you think "WHOAA! Loads of activity here!!" then once you're settled in you realise its mainly a few tumbleweeds and a group of lads who meet in the pub once a month.

mansize · 24-07-2016 10:41PM

Maybe it's not the smartphone...

beks101 · 24-07-2016 11:18PM

Patww79 wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

You sound like someone who doesn't like people in general, so I'm not surprised it doesn't bother you.

Chance encounters, random chats at the bus stop, new friends from slightly scary social situations where you know no-one and have to go out on a limb, being present with whomever it is you're with and engaging like a human being...no longer supported by the smart phone generation.

Deleted User wrote: »

Smartphones connect to an incredible world of knowledge, entertainment and interaction. If that sometimes seems more enticing to a lot of people than the company that geographical or societal constraint has you sat beside that's hardly an astonishment, surely?

No, that's called bad manners. Probably the worst and most despicable development of the whole smart phone movement. It's now socially acceptable or at least not a kicked-out-of-the-pub offence to abruptly end a face-to-face conversation to engross yourself in your phone. To leave your company hanging beside you so you can check your facebook notifications.

If the "company that geographical or societal constraint has you sat beside" is that bad, simply don't be there. Be an adult and make your excuses. Sadly I've seen this on dates, friendly catch-ups, family dinners, group get-togethers - all sorts of normal social events where one has assumedly turned up of their own free will. It's what people do now.

eeguy wrote: »

Just the times we live in. You can also use your smartphone to only look at "good" news.

LOLZ. Try to use your smartphone to "only look at good news" tomorrow. Log into Twitter and try to avoid the #PrayersforNice / #PrayersforMunich / #prayersforTurkey / #prayersforBaghdad laments. Or the #jesuisNice profilers on facebook. Use the BBC/RTE/Channel 4/Sky/Irish Indo/NY Times/any news outlet of your choosing's app and see how far you get with your "good news" buzz. You might catch a cheeky Panda video after a few minutes scrolling through the avalanche of depressing stories that makes up any and every news cycle.

"Good news" is not news.

OldMrBrennan83 · 24-07-2016 11:23PM

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jimbobaloobob · 24-07-2016 11:27PM

I have an old nokia 3310 on the go, had a smart phone but pain in the ass it was.

bnt · 24-07-2016 11:49PM

I am, a bit, but not in the way you might think. I rarely use mine for voice calls: I was never keen on the idea anyway, and they are looking more and more like an anachronism. Why do I have to interrupt what you're doing to get a message to you, or vice versa? SMS for quick messages, email for anything bigger, job done. My next "smartphone" will be something more like a "phablet": bigger screen.

LunarSea · 24-07-2016 11:50PM

beks101 wrote: »

You sound like someone who doesn't like people in general, so I'm not surprised it doesn't bother you.

Chance encounters, random chats at the bus stop, new friends from slightly scary social situations where you know no-one and have to go out on a limb, being present with whomever it is you're with and engaging like a human being...no longer supported by the smart phone generation.

You're treating this like as a binary thing, which it isn't. Smartphone user does not equally socially inept weirdo. I'm pretty sociable. I'm lucky to have a few different circles of friends. I've still gone out on a limb in "slightly scary social situations". In fact, only a few weeks ago this happened and me and the person ended up swapping smartphone numbers and now talk regularly and will meet up this week for lunch! If I'm introduced to someone I can strike up conversation and I'm good at keeping it going. This usually happens at a friend's place or a night out, or in social/hobby groups, or work.

However, if I'm waiting on a bus, I don't necessarily want to make new friends - maybe I just want to listen to my music or read my book? Maybe I want to ignore everyone as I'm tired and regardless of owning a smartphone or not, I'm just not in the humour to engage with strangers?

beks101 wrote: »

No, that's called bad manners. Probably the worst and most despicable development of the whole smart phone movement. It's now socially acceptable or at least not a kicked-out-of-the-pub offence to abruptly end a face-to-face conversation to engross yourself in your phone. To leave your company hanging beside you so you can check your facebook notifications.

If the "company that geographical or societal constraint has you sat beside" is that bad, simply don't be there. Be an adult and make your excuses. Sadly I've seen this on dates, friendly catch-ups, family dinners, group get-togethers - all sorts of normal social events where one has assumedly turned up of their own free will. It's what people do now.

I'll agree that is indeed bad manners, but last time I checked owning a smartphone does not mean you automatically lose your manners. Bad mannered people will be bad mannered, they've been around a lot longer than smartphones. Again, time to change friends, not tech.

Err, I don't think you can make your excuses and move on a packed bus. It's a heck of a lot easier to plug in headphones and ignore them. No drama. Just keep to yourself. If I can have a read or listen to some music whislt doing so, where's the problem? Also, having these comforts might mean someone particularly annoying is easier to ignore. Would you prefer to listen to the drunk guy on the train or your favourite music?

beks101 wrote: »

LOLZ. Try to use your smartphone to "only look at good news" tomorrow. Log into Twitter and try to avoid the #PrayersforNice / #PrayersforMunich / #prayersforTurkey / #prayersforBaghdad laments. Or the #jesuisNice profilers on facebook. Use the BBC/RTE/Channel 4/Sky/Irish Indo/NY Times/any news outlet of your choosing's app and see how far you get with your "good news" buzz. You might catch a cheeky Panda video after a few minutes scrolling through the avalanche of depressing stories that makes up any and every news cycle.

"Good news" is not news.

There's plenty of good news on social media. Not inane bull****, genuine stuff. A friend of mine recently stuck up two snaps of herself at her Ph.D graduation. Not boastful or bigheaded, just something she worked her fingers to the bone for, to share with her friends who are also happy for her. We couldn't pack a bus to be there, so it was nice to see.

Sure, it's mostly "bad news" in the media, but whether you choose to ignore it or not, it's still happening. A few years back, with the attacks in a Sydney cafe, one of my first thoughts was to whip out my smartphone and try to ring my mate who lives there. Couldn't get through, followed it on the news (on my phone!). Eventually got a call from his brother to say he contacted family to say he was safe and well, to let a few of us (his friends know) know too. Smartphones, they're just awful like that, eh?

Elliott S · 25-07-2016 12:00AM

Deleted User wrote: »

This generation's version of "always on the gameboy" which was only that generation's version of "always has that walkman on him" which was just that generation's "always has her nose in a book" I mean sorry that nobody's mind is blown but Jesus dont you think this is a pretty boring sentiment?

No, it's not. Yes there were other versions of it in others generations, but unquestionably the smartphone era is far, far worse. The statements you cite above seemed to uttered at children mostly. You didn't see fully grown adults ignoring people they are supposed to be socialising with by using walkmans and gameboys in the past. Now, you see adults do this this all the time with smartphones. What happened to go old-fashioned manners? Adults should know better.

Smartphones are wonderful in so many ways but like anything, they have their downsides.

25-07-2016 12:05AM

tomwaterford wrote: »

I'm fair sick of not being about to actually make phonecalls on mine without hitting onto cheekbones and putting calls on hold

:mad:

My mother does this all the time. No idea how! I had that phone for 2 years and never did it.

Elliott S · 25-07-2016 12:06AM

SimonTemplar wrote: »

Smartphones are a technological wonder. The things we can now do on a small handheld device was only the stuff of science fiction in the not too past.

What annoys me about smartphones is people being glued to them in situations were it is inappropriate to use them

This, really. Why are people equating "Put the fúcking phone down for a few minutes" with "I wish smartphones didn't exist"?

Aongus Von Bismarck · 25-07-2016 12:07AM

I'm in full agreement with Beks here. There's something so deeply impersonal about the preoccupation with the life lived vicariously through a 5" screen.

We had an intake of interns to our company recently. There was a night out to welcome them to the company. It isn't the type of thing I'd be into, but I'm seen as a mentor and aspirational figure within the organisation, so I headed along. The majority of them sat there all evening fidgeting and picking up their phones to check out who was close by on Tinder. The lack of effort in even getting to know the other people they'd be hoping to work with was palpable.

I ended up getting extremely bored with this self-indulgent behaviour and headed over to the bar to order another glass of Riesling. There I got talking to an extremely attractive and interesting lady from Limerick who had recently moved to Frankfurt to import Irish artisan food products. About an hour later and I was picking up my jacket from the table where the interns were sat. Still sitting at the table with the phone almost clamped to the hand as they wished me well, and issuing banalities about looking forward to meeting me on Monday.

Surreptitious · 25-07-2016 12:08AM

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

I'm in full agreement with Beks here. There's something so deeply impersonal about the preoccupation with the life lived vicariously through a 5" screen.

We had an intake of interns to our company recently. There was a night out to welcome them to the company. It isn't the type of thing I'd be into, but I'm seen as a mentor and aspirational figure within the organisation, so I headed along. The majority of them sat there all evening fidgeting and picking up their phones to check out who was close by on Tinder. The lack of effort in even getting to know the other people they'd be hoping to work with was palpable.

I ended up getting extremely bored with this self-indulgent behaviour and headed over to the bar to order another glass of Riesling. There I got talking to an extremely attractive and interesting lady from Limerick who had recently moved to Frankfurt to import Irish artisan food products. About an hour later and I was picking up my jacket from the table where the interns were sat. Still sitting at the table with the phone almost clamped to the hand as they wished me well, and issuing banalities about looking forward to meeting me on Monday.

So did you get the ride?

Elliott S · 25-07-2016 12:08AM

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

If you find yourself using your phone when you probably shouldn't be, that's your fault. If you're engaging with people less because you have a smartphone, that's your fault.

Stop blaming a technology for how you use it.

I think a lot of people who are complaining don't use theirs too much themselves. But a large proportion of adults do. It's not the fault of technology, no, but that doesn't make it any less exasperating.

OldMrBrennan83 · 25-07-2016 12:12AM

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jimbobaloobob · 25-07-2016 12:13AM

http://www.boredpanda.com/portraits-holding-devices-removed-eric-pickersgill/

http://zinggadget.com/2016/07/06/%E5%88%AB%E7%9C%8B%E4%BA%86%EF%BC%8C%E8%BF%99%E5%B0%B1%E6%98%AF%E4%BD%A0%EF%BC%81/

i think those two websites capture alot of todays society

L'prof · 25-07-2016 12:16AM

Maybe sick of the cost of them. Last night I was chasing Rattata around the bar, what a time to be alive!!!

jimbobaloobob · 25-07-2016 12:18AM

Surreptitious wrote: »

So did you get the ride?

Haha beat around the bush

Pinch Flat · 25-07-2016 12:20AM

I have to say I've no issue. Really handy for sorting out all sorts of things - music, maps, email, looking up stuff on the Internet.

Sent from my iPhone

FizzleSticks · 25-07-2016 12:41AM

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ArtSmart · 25-07-2016 01:47AM

sup_dude wrote: »

You say that as though there would be any hope of me interacting with real people if I didn't have my phone.

But really, some people (the dumb I call them) just cannot watch TV, hold a conversation, without interacting on their phone with someone or something (usually games) AT THE SAME FU*KING TIME

THEY CAN'T BE ALONE, HAVING BREAKFAST ETC, UNLESS THEY'RE ON THEIR PHONE, EITHER WATCHING OR PLAYING SOMETHING.

OOPS, STILL IN CAPS.

Anyway, it really is quite mad, and sad.

(eta, technology is not to blame of course, some folk are just well, sad (as in pathetic and also, sad). But before, this type of addiction (yup, that's what it is) was seen as a bad thing. Now, it's becoming the norm.

Stigura · 25-07-2016 02:14AM

Sh1tbag OToole wrote: »

They were a great novelty when they came out first. You could be the feen on the scene by googling an answer to something the rest of the folk at the table were having a squibble about and they'd be all "wow!"

Now people just spend the whole day on them, half the time they're not even interacting with real people anymore, just some server in the US of A (or Amazon AWS) owned by a bunch of hipster JavaScript-writing tech dudes in Silicon Valley trying to get them to click on as many ads as possible.

F*ck all effort goes into designing phones these days, they all look the bloody same. Rectangular, massive screen, no keyboard, probably Android. Tons of crappy apps that try to make money off you or spy on you. Then after about 12 months the interface gets slow and jumpy and it's time to part with another couple hundred quid.

The designs just aren't interesting anymore. Just like the designs of new off-the-shelf desktop office PC's aren't interesting anymore. There were some great unusual phone designs 10 years ago. The Xelibri 4, Nokia 6810, 7600, 9500/E90 to name but a few. Now sameness and boring blandness have taken over completely

Sh1tbag; I, frankly, lack the sheer experience to reliably quantify ye statement there.

But, hell, yeah! I applaud the strength of feeling!

I've actually owned a smart phone for less than two years. And, yeah; I don't even trust the damn thing! Sneaky, devious, up to something things that they are! Fcukers!

Noveight · 25-07-2016 02:23AM

After my 4s gave up I went rooting around the drawer and found my old Nokia 3510i. Used it for about 2 weeks before I had to give over and buy a new HTC. Bit of a laugh to use the Blockia, but I found it a huge drawback to have no camera, no checking cinema listings / bus times on the go, no Whatsapp or Viber at hand.

It is true that people having their head stuck in their mobile is very off putting.

Surreptitious · 25-07-2016 02:27AM

I was trying to manoeuvre my shopping trolley whilst browsing the shelves and this wan was basically zombiefied on her phone swaying slowly though the supermarket completely unaware of the reality around her. Phones are dead handy for usage but this type of thing drives me crazy.

Stigura · 25-07-2016 02:33AM

http://www.cardmix.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/054142_lim.jpg

ozzy78 · 25-07-2016 08:54AM

I agree with both sides of the argument here...smartphones have a multitude of advantages as previously mentioned. The biggest disadvantage I see is that people are now connected all the time. It used to be nice to just sit with your own thoughts every now and then. Maybe there should be etiquette for when you're in social situations? Remember when using your phone on public transport was frowned upon? Those days are gone. I know i spend far too long on my phone these days and it definitely can be to the detriment of your relationships.

Sh1tbag OToole · 25-07-2016 09:13AM

FizzleSticks wrote: »

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Seems to be too much to ask. Even the slide-out keyboards are gone. There was an add-on for my phone that had a keyboard but I missed the boat because only very limited amount were made. Hate typing on touchscreens, real buttons just feel better

The only hope for now seems to be to buy a tablet that can be used as a phone and attach a bluetooth keyboard. Smartphone design has gone too conservative to bother with risky extras like keyboards, they're a hard thing to get right too. I got an android phone with a keyboard a couple of years ago from India and it was pure sh1te, absolutely awful to type on

OldMrBrennan83 · 25-07-2016 09:15AM

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Sh1tbag OToole · 25-07-2016 09:17AM

Patww79 wrote: »

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The last of a dieing breed. Not even from this year

gaz wac · 25-07-2016 09:23AM

* checks pockets*.....Wallet, keys, phone....charger!

Discodog · 25-07-2016 09:24AM

Surreptitious wrote: »

I was trying to manoeuvre my shopping trolley whilst browsing the shelves and this wan was basically zombiefied on her phone swaying slowly though the supermarket completely unaware of the reality around her. Phones are dead handy for usage but this type of thing drives me crazy.

I use an excellent shopping list app on mine so I wander the shelves looking at my phone.

Anyone else getting sick of smartphones?

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