Smartphones have turned you all into **nts

dgt · 06-09-2013 12:24AM

Someone didn't get enough likes for that disease they posted up about on facebook and thus has vented their anger on here.... Clever

Billy86 · 06-09-2013 12:32AM

I do get wound up in situations like at lunch in work when 6 people are sat around a table staring at their phones for 10-15 minutes without a single word being said, I've got to admit. They are amazing innovations and give us the ability to get so many small things done on the fly, be more time efficient, etc (or just kill boredom or "stay connected"), but some people are way over the top in their obsession with their phones.

I say that as someone with a smartphone. Well, A 'Samsung Galaxy Duos' so in truth more of a [learning impaired so as not to offend anyone, unlike that Meteor ad that's just so offensively discriminatory] phone but you get the point.

Sh1tbag OToole · 06-09-2013 12:36AM

Esoteric_ wrote: »

Bet you're just jealous 'cause you can't afford a smartphone/tablet.

Even the dogs on the street can afford them now..

old_aussie · 06-09-2013 12:46AM

See what you've done to me Nokia 3310, it's all your fault.

Iwasfrozen · 06-09-2013 02:00AM

whirlpool wrote: »

I'm beyond sick of smartphones / tablets / phablets / social media and the absolutely horrific level of saturating advertising and marketing of them and how much almost the entire western world has been completely conned into believing these are vital to our daily lives. Bleedin ridiculous. Give up your pathetic "devices" and STOP falling for it!

lol

wil · 06-09-2013 02:54AM

Femme_Fatale wrote: »

Boards is social media. How have these devices turned us "all" into c*nts? People like them - they offer a lot of handy functions. They're advances in technology, which has been happening for many years now.

Those who claim to take issue with communications technology and lament "true conversation" need to put their money where their mouth is and get rid of the computer/laptop/mobile phone... but they won't.

I cant agree with that second paragraph.
I love tech, always have, but I dont enjoy when it takes over from reality.
and saying to get rid of... is nonsense. There is no reason why it shouldnt complement rather than replace social interaction.
We are long past the time when talking loudly on your phone was considered impolite and there was a move towards some form of phone etiquette. We are now in a different realm, eg you often have the usually older person announcing their shopping list or their sons endoscopy results to the world, or at the other extreme, retreating in to a 4 inch world of fb updates and candy crush.
Wall-e world is not far off.
Now the social etiquette has gone the other way, that even noticing a person is shouting, or attempt to engage in face to face conversation leads to glares.
Several times I've seen families sit at a restaurant table and immediately light up their phones. If they could eat off them they probably would.

Novelty value for some things should remain novelty, not become social norms. If food bloggers want to take pics of their soon to be reviewed dinner, fine, but why does everyone else think people care what they ate, saw or puked.

Boards as a social media is reasonably structured with some degree of positive interaction and composition. Yes there is plenty of evidence of the contrary, myself included but many other social media rely on a continuous stream of inane garbage to keep the bucks coming in. It's like the media equivalent of sweets and ice cream, not what you'd feed your kids, but what they'd choose for themselves.
Perhaps some people need RDA/calorie equivalents* for t'internet or plain old cop on.

(*to be consumed with a pinch of salt)

Caonima · 06-09-2013 06:19AM

I just use smartphone apps to get laid over here. We're spoiled for choice with apps like Wechat, MoMo, Badoo, QQ etc.

Does annoy me, though, seeing a group of people out together all on their phones, not speaking to each other.

playedalive · 06-09-2013 08:32AM

They are helpful but it's kind of worrying how we become more dependent on this technology, to the point that it's absolutely necessary and 'the norm'. It seems to be a given that you have a smartphone, whatsapp, viber and all these applications to communicate. Wouldn't free calls and texts be enough (some networks do offer price plans like this)

Having said that, I recently bought my first smartphone so let's see what I think later on

conorhal · 06-09-2013 08:49AM

kjl wrote: »

Right, I use my phone to check and return my emails when I'm on the road, am I a cnut??

If you're driving at the time*, yes, yes you are.....

*Seriously, I've seen people texting and e-mailing while driving, once while in car with sombody that drove OVER a roundabout as a result. Never took a lift from that dangerous cnut again!

DeanAustin · 06-09-2013 08:49AM

I hate the idea of smartphones, iPads etc. But then I realised that it's just me getting older. People who go down this road are part of the "it was better in my day brigade".

Look, I remember being young and my mother and father would say "Jaysus, life was better before telly, it's ruined conversation. We never needed it. People don't talk to each other." I'm sure before that it was radio and before that I'm sure twas something else.

Technology is a wonderful thing. It enables us to do things that seemed possitively space age in the 80s. The fact I hate it just means I hate the the world is moving on and I'm getting older. Happens to every generation.

jimgoose · 06-09-2013 08:53AM

While you can still turn them off at will I don't see smartphones (or ones that needed a few grinds to get them through...) as the work of Beelzebub or anything like that. To be honest I like the fast data modem on them that occasionally allows me to get some useful work done from quare places.

I don't have a Facebook - not interested, too much crap and too many vacuous pixieheads - and Twitter is pointless bollocks. I've always quite liked forums though, since back in the Elder Days of Usenet, and participate in a few.

conorhal · 06-09-2013 08:54AM

MadsL wrote: »

Can we designate socially pressured 'downtime'.

Like gigs. Forget the phone, enjoy the show.
Restaurants/pubs - how about talking to someone new.
Festivals - 3 days off com won't kill ya.

Smartphone detox zones. Let's make this a thing.

While I completely agre, good luck with that. At one point it was suggested that they put signal blockers in cinemas, but there was a worry that it might have a negative impact on business and you had people saying things like 'what if a doctor misses a call or there's an emergency in the theater!'....

...eh, then you walk out to the lobby and use your phone. What happened prior to 1995?

UCDVet · 06-09-2013 09:03AM

I totally disagree.

Maybe people aren't old enough to remember life before smart phones - but it wasn't a giant happy party.

Teenagers used to sit around, bored, and go, 'So, what do you want to do? I dunno, what do you want to do? This places sucks, there is nothing to do!'

Life isn't *that* interesting.

People weren't so lonely or friendly that they looked for any opportunity to chat with someone. If I were running and I saw a girl stretching for a run, do you know what I would say? NOTHING.

I don't know her
I'm going running
She's going running

I'll run and I let her run. I'll assume that if she wanted random guys chatting her up, she'd head down to a bar or club.

IRONICALLY - all of the communicating I do on Boards.ie - wouldn't have been possible in the 80s. Those kids with their cell phones are communicating with a lot more people than I did as a kid with my bicycle.

MJ23 · 06-09-2013 09:15AM

Someone showing you all the apps they have on their phone. Go away you idiot.

BeerWolf · 06-09-2013 09:53AM

I'm a hipster, using THIS. Screw the mainstream!

:pac:

120_Minutes · 06-09-2013 09:56AM

whirlpool wrote: »

I'm beyond sick of smartphones / tablets / phablets / social media and the absolutely horrific level of saturating advertising and marketing of them and how much almost the entire western world has been completely conned into believing these are vital to our daily lives. Bleedin ridiculous. Give up your pathetic "devices" and STOP falling for it!

I mean, would Apple/Samsung/HTC like to kindly f*** off now please?

Anyway, I'm glad I'm not the only one who's noticed this.

U ok hun?

mathie · 06-09-2013 09:57AM

UCDVet wrote: »

I totally disagree.

Maybe people aren't old enough to remember life before smart phones - but it wasn't a giant happy party.

Teenagers used to sit around, bored, and go, 'So, what do you want to do? I dunno, what do you want to do? This places sucks, there is nothing to do!'

Life isn't *that* interesting.

People weren't so lonely or friendly that they looked for any opportunity to chat with someone. If I were running and I saw a girl stretching for a run, do you know what I would say? NOTHING.

I don't know her
I'm going running
She's going running

I'll run and I let her run. I'll assume that if she wanted random guys chatting her up, she'd head down to a bar or club.

IRONICALLY - all of the communicating I do on Boards.ie - wouldn't have been possible in the 80s. Those kids with their cell phones are communicating with a lot more people than I did as a kid with my bicycle.

Alanis?

sbsquarepants · 06-09-2013 10:12AM

If you had a few friends over to your house, or met them out in the pub or whatever and one or more of them instead of joining in, just sat there and read a book, even when you tried to drag a conversation out of them, you'd think what a rude prick.
It's no different with a phone, it's just plain rude - end of story.

Ush1 · 06-09-2013 10:32AM

If a person in your company is constantly at their phone, maybe your company isn't that interesting to them?:)

simonmln · 06-09-2013 10:36AM

Everytime I go out with a group of mates now, all the phones are in the middle of the table and first one to touch them buys a round.

Chairman Meow · 06-09-2013 10:57AM

whirlpool wrote: »

I'm beyond sick of smartphones / tablets / phablets / social media and the absolutely horrific level of saturating advertising and marketing of them and how much almost the entire western world has been completely conned into believing these are vital to our daily lives. Bleedin ridiculous. Give up your pathetic "devices" and STOP falling for it!

I mean, would Apple/Samsung/HTC like to kindly f*** off now please?

Anyway, I'm glad I'm not the only one who's noticed this.

2edgy4me

sbsquarepants · 06-09-2013 11:07AM

Ush1 wrote: »

If a person in your company is constantly at their phone, maybe your company isn't that interesting to them?:)

No, that doesn't sound right:D

Renegade Mechanic · 06-09-2013 11:09AM

OP the world was full of p*ssing c*nts long before the advent of "the smartphone". Now it just a little bit more full.

petes · 06-09-2013 11:10AM

But you can watch porn on them!!

jimgoose · 06-09-2013 11:11AM

Renegade Mechanic wrote: »

OP the world was full of p*ssing c*nts long before the advent of "the smartphone". Now it just a little bit more full.

It's not that it's any more full of them, you can just hear them braying much more.

sbsquarepants · 06-09-2013 11:12AM

petes wrote: »

But you can watch porn on them!!

Every cloud, eh!

Renegade Mechanic · 06-09-2013 11:13AM

jimgoose wrote: »

It's not that it's any more full of them, you can just hear them braying much more.

Made me laugh, amen to that:D

mikemac1 · 06-09-2013 11:17AM

You should strung up from the nearest lamp post if you are using one in a pub quiz

Akrasia · 06-09-2013 11:17AM

Earthwalker wrote: »

I like them but I feckin refuse to call them smartphones. Until such times as when I am about to walk out of the house without it, or leave it in the back of a taxi, it has the ability to whistle and shout: "Oi, dickhead, don't forget me!", it ain't a "smart" phone at all.

Actually, they have that ability already, but nobody bought that app.

xgwishyx · 06-09-2013 01:16PM

Few good points made in this thread, but as someone who until recently made a living off smartphones and technology I have to disagree! Smartphones and Social Media have opened us up to a bigger, more exciting, more diverse world.

For example, without them we'd be getting our regular news updates from RTE / The Indo / The Daily freaking Mail etc.
Friends and family that have departed our shores to Australia / Canada and the ilk might as well be on another planet.
Old school friends / work collegues would be buried in my memories somewhere, without hope of ever finding out how they got on in life.

Yes, there are people that go overboard with it but then there are people in 'real life' who are socially awkward, or talk too much, or say the wrong things constantly. Common courtesy will dictate that most people put the phone away when in the company of others, or at dinner or whatnot.

If you are socialising with friends who act like c**ts with smartphones, then maybe you need to reconsider your friends and not the tools they act like c**ts with.

Smartphones have turned you all into **nts

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