"Once, she told me, she was hanging out with a friend who was texting her boyfriend. “I was trying to talk to her about my family, and what was going on, and she was like, ‘Uh-huh, yeah, whatever.’ So I took her phone out of her hands and I threw it at my wall.”
I couldn’t help laughing. “You play volleyball,” I said. “Do you have a pretty good arm?” “Yep,” she replied."
I know I shouldn't laugh, but I did. I can't even fathom how difficult it will be to manage technology when my generation has kids in a decade or two!
Also, I found it very strange that "less sex"/sex at a later age was lumped in the same category of negative effects of smartphone usage (and it also surprised me). I don't think extension of childhood is necessarily a bad thing, especially as I've mostly heard parents complain about how their children are in such a hurry to grow up
This article is really interesting and sad. Nothing too surprising I guess, but still crazy to read. Makes me want to get rid of my Facebook and Instagram. "There’s not a single exception. All screen activities are linked to less happiness, and all nonscreen activities are linked to more happiness."
Does this platform allow me to send this article to someone who is not in RR? Wow would I do it? A person I know is making a movie short and I believe this content would be useful to him.
THX.
James
I've been thinking for a while that the next "big thing" in tech will be a sweeping rejection of all things tech. The downward spiral into new and better (read: more addicting) hardware and software will continue for a bit longer; AI, IoT, VR - these things are yet to fully mature. Eventually, however, we'll need to turn back in the other direction and people will begin to seek out (and pay big bucks for) ways to remove themselves from the digital universe.
Change happens quickly; mobile/social ate the world in less than 10 years. In another ten years, we might be done with phones altogether. The human need to be human will never go away.
Just last night we were out to dinner and a young couple with a toddler was having dinner at the next table, the kid was kinda antsy and tugging at the parents vying for attention. I thought the kid was being completely kid-like and just needed to be parented and acknowledged ..... well the father pulled out his phone and said, "Wanna watch some Nick?" For the rest of the dinner this kid was glued to the device. The parents enjoyed their dinner in relative peace. Who is to blame? I think societally we need to address better parenting, not blame the kids for their device addictions.
"Once, she told me, she was hanging out with a friend who was texting her boyfriend. “I was trying to talk to her about my family, and what was going on, and she was like, ‘Uh-huh, yeah, whatever.’ So I took her phone out of her hands and I threw it at my wall.”
I couldn’t help laughing. “You play volleyball,” I said. “Do you have a pretty good arm?” “Yep,” she replied."
I know I shouldn't laugh, but I did. I can't even fathom how difficult it will be to manage technology when my generation has kids in a decade or two!
Also, I found it very strange that "less sex"/sex at a later age was lumped in the same category of negative effects of smartphone usage (and it also surprised me). I don't think extension of childhood is necessarily a bad thing, especially as I've mostly heard parents complain about how their children are in such a hurry to grow up
This article is really interesting and sad. Nothing too surprising I guess, but still crazy to read. Makes me want to get rid of my Facebook and Instagram. "There’s not a single exception. All screen activities are linked to less happiness, and all nonscreen activities are linked to more happiness."
I think I'm ready to be done with Facebook - again. Wanna actually do it?!
Does this platform allow me to send this article to someone who is not in RR? Wow would I do it? A person I know is making a movie short and I believe this content would be useful to him.
THX. James
Cool! Share the article link or this one: https://reallyread.it/articles/the-atlantic/have-smartphones-destroyed-a-generation
I've been thinking for a while that the next "big thing" in tech will be a sweeping rejection of all things tech. The downward spiral into new and better (read: more addicting) hardware and software will continue for a bit longer; AI, IoT, VR - these things are yet to fully mature. Eventually, however, we'll need to turn back in the other direction and people will begin to seek out (and pay big bucks for) ways to remove themselves from the digital universe.
Change happens quickly; mobile/social ate the world in less than 10 years. In another ten years, we might be done with phones altogether. The human need to be human will never go away.
I love my flip phone.
Just last night we were out to dinner and a young couple with a toddler was having dinner at the next table, the kid was kinda antsy and tugging at the parents vying for attention. I thought the kid was being completely kid-like and just needed to be parented and acknowledged ..... well the father pulled out his phone and said, "Wanna watch some Nick?" For the rest of the dinner this kid was glued to the device. The parents enjoyed their dinner in relative peace. Who is to blame? I think societally we need to address better parenting, not blame the kids for their device addictions.