Reliance on smartphone...

scooby088

Never wanted or needed a smartphone, got a mobile phone the downside even with that youare contactable anytime of the day and can't go anywhere without it.

Mr_Toad

I've worked in the technology sector all my life, I love gadgets, smartphones, tablets and computers and I own all of the above, more than one of each in fact.

However, like Netwizard I do despair. You see people with them glued to their hands all the time seemingly unable to put them down.

I was in the supermarket some months ago and there was a 30 something woman in front of me weaving an unsteady path and often bumping into other people because she was pushing her trolley with one hand and holding the phone with the other.

Every 10 seconds she looked at, I was itching to tell her that the damned thing goes bingly, bongly beep when anything happens meaning you don't have to keep looking at it! You could even put it in a pocket and they vibrate in case you don't hear them!

What capped it though was when she stopped to put something in the trolley. She picked an item up but decided to compare it with something else at which point she realised that she'd run out of hands! You could see her dithering, not knowing if she should put the phone down or the packet in her other hand or tuck one of them under her chin so she could pick the second item up. In the end she put the packet in the trolly seat and kept hold of the phone.

It was priceless. I'm sure if I'd recorded it and played it back she'd have been horrified but perhaps not.

These things are great and extremely useful but it really isn't necessary to walk round with them in your hand and check them constantly.

My smartphone is upstairs on my desk, I'm downstairs having a cuppa and catching on on MSE. If there are any calls, texts or anything else I deal with them later.

BlondeHeadOn

I don't have a Smart phone because I find them irritating - especially since I have a friend who has to be on hers all the time, and I mean ALL the time. It is impossible to have a reasonable converstaion with her, as she is constantly not listening to check emails/facebook/apps etc., and I end up wanting to throw the 'kin thing across the room. The worst is when you are mid conversation with a group of you, and she suddenly interrupts and says "ooh, look at this, my phone can do...xyz, isn't that great?" Er, no it isn't - and you have just been extremely rude!

I am now actively avoiding seeing her because of this. In fact I tend to avoid a conversation with anyone who just checks their phone all the time.

Kind of gives 'Social Media' a whole new slant...

Norma_Desmond

DH and I have one 10 year old mobile phone between us - and it lives in the car anyway.

It's just for emergencies; neither of us feels the need to be contactable 24 hours a day and frankly it's getting to the point now when hitherto 'normal', friendly, sociable people are looking into their phones when having a conversation with you.........and you think what's the point of even trying to have a chat?

AND it's so bloody rude. :mad:

Netwizard

onlyroz wrote: »

I was running late to work because I'd hit a road diversion, and I was able to stop and send my boss a quick email.

Seriously? You pull over and email your boss rather than making a quick 2 second call to the office on hands free to say your going to be late? Thats madness!

That said, if I email my boss, im lucky if she gets back to me same day!

Glaf im not the only one frustrated by these pesky bloody phones though :money:

elisebutt65

I started bringing a box full of Jiffy bags into college, so students would get 2 warnings then their phone would go in the bag with their name on a post it note until end of class. After a few lessons(with some trying to sneak phones onto laps) they soon learned. Problem was other staff letting them get away with it, or worse; adding them as friends!!

God knows what it'll be like when these start getting used. http://www.google.com/glass/start/what-it-does/

SandC

I so agree netwizard.

I can absolutely see the benefits of smartphones, but let's be honest, they're portable computers really, the phone part is way down the list of what that gadget actually is. I don't have one because I like to keep things separate - phone for phoning (and texting, I do admit to doing that rather than ringing) and I use it for my alarm. Camera is for taking pics, laptop or PC for internet use. Handy indeed to have all those things in a little capsule but I don't feel the need for it right now.

I was out the other week with two friends and one even started playing Kandy Krush while we were sitting there!

What gets my goat is that although they are constantly on them, never let them leave their hands or pockets and check them incessantly, people are not instantly accessible, nor do they respond to texts or emails straight away, which in theory, because of the importance they place on these things, they should be doing!!

I don't mind when someone does a check in where you've arrived, nor the odd pic because they are unlikely to be also carrying a camera, but you don't need to be looking at the pics you've taken straight away at the expense of spending realtime with the people you are with!

This one took the biscuit just yesterday. Someone I know actually 'checked in' at the crematorium just ahead of her grandmother's funeral. :eek:

Janey3

It's a good thing I haven't got a smartphone (yet-LOL!!) as I know I would be on it all the time - I'm addicted to my pc and the internet as it is.

I do leave my laptop at home when I'm on holiday and never give it a thought.

Just loving all this technology and so does my OH, it's our window on the world and we're well past pension age!

Gloomendoom

SandC wrote: »

I don't mind when someone does a check in where you've arrived, nor the odd pic because they are unlikely to be also carrying a camera, but you don't need to be looking at the pics you've taken straight away at the expense of spending realtime with the people you are with!

This one took the biscuit just yesterday. Someone I know actually 'checked in' at the crematorium just ahead of her grandmother's funeral. :eek:

What is a 'check in'?

onlyroz

Netwizard wrote: »

Seriously? You pull over and email your boss rather than making a quick 2 second call to the office on hands free to say your going to be late? Thats madness!

That said, if I email my boss, im lucky if she gets back to me same day!

Glaf im not the only one frustrated by these pesky bloody phones though :money:

If I phoned in I'd have to ring the switch board and then be put through, and he may or may not be at his desk. A quick two-line email is much easier, and he can read it at his convenience.