Bob, I grew up with stuttering problem.  One of the fathers at St. Ignatius high school forced my to join the debating club.  It helped me overcome my fear of speaking in public but it also instilled a love for debate.  Arguing is another hobby of mine.  Eventually the stuttering problem became manageable.

Noel

Noel,

I hope you don't think I'm arguing with you. I just view this a a friendly back and forth. I don't think you have a real beef with technology as much as you just don't need it. Your lifestyle is fine without much of it. Great.

Thar's one thing. But to say that it is pointless and, in general, causes a dumbing down of the general population, is another. As with any tool, technology can be used or misused. In certain circles, the printing press was viewed with the same disdain with which the internet is viewed today. The early church considered the pipe organ to be an instrument of the devil. 

I don't think you've been left behind, as in you're sig. You're right where you want to be.

For many people drinking is not a problem. But for many it is.   Most can handle social drinking but there are others who can't leave it alone, whose behavior is affected, and some who become alcoholics.  

And then there are smartphoneaholics.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/11/171130090041.htm

Noel

 

4 hours ago, birdguy said:

And then there are smartphoneaholics.

There has been a commercial running for the past few months. Funnily enough I don't remember what product was being advertised, but what grabbed my fancy was that there were two couples sitting in a living room on two sofas facing one another across a coffee table.

All four had their heads down focused on their smartphones. The narrator suggested that they might just "try talking with one another" at which all four laughed out loud and returned to their phones.

It's called stealth rudeness Fr. Bill.  You can talk trash about people in a group you are in without them knowing about it.

Noel

Thanks for posting this article. I hope you noted what was not said as well as what you think was actually said. Funnily enough, my wife did some copy editing for the "Radiological Society of North America" ( the organization Science Daily got this information from). She did not like working for them.  This is not the study, but their take on it. 

" more and more people are becoming increasingly dependent on smartphones and other portable electronic devices for news, information, games, and even the occasional phone call." How is this different from depending on TV or newspapers?

" a growing concern that young people, in particular, may be spending too much time staring into their phones instead of interacting with others,". But they are interacting with others. Just not the way we all did.

"The study involved 19 young people (mean age 15.5, 9 males) diagnosed with internet or smartphone addiction". So I looked up the standard internet addiction test. I doubt you did. Because you might not study things the way I do. I took the test and scored ten out of 100 points. Even if I had fudged some of the answers, under 30 points is no addiction. 31 to 49 is normal. But when you look at the questions, it is clear to me that the word "internet" could be changed to almost anything with similar results. Somewhat biased. This is significant because: "Dr. Seo reported that the addicted teenagers had significantly higher scores in depression, anxiety, insomnia severity and impulsivity." Well sure, This is the result of addiction, not the internet.

 What follows are several paragraphs about chemical imbalance. I don't doubt that the imbalance is there. But what the article doesn't substantiate is that the imbalance was caused by addiction. In other words, which came first, the imbalance or the addiction. Perhaps the study goes into that, but without that information, the article can be called into question. 

"The good news is GABA to Glx ratios in the addicted youth significantly decreased or normalized after cognitive behavioral therapy." But what are the long term results. Did they live "normal" lives? 

Don't put too much stock in this article. There is great pressure in the science and medical world to publish. You have no idea. This study is meant to be built on, not taken in and of itself. 

There are lots interesting brain studies going on. We understand very little.

 Based on my unscientific observations, Bob, I notice many people everywhere I go on phones, either talking on them or watching something or playing a game.  That becomes very habit forming and steals away your situational awareness.  That can be dangerous while driving or even walking downtown.

So many people have to be plugged in all the time.   It started with those boom boxes and went to Walkmans and now to smart phones.  Like they are afraid of silence or not being in touch with something or someone.  Like being afraid to be alone.

I mentioned before when I took the train to San Francisco in August to meet my daughter for a father-daughter weekend (she flew out) over half the people in the observation lounge car were missing all that beautiful scenery because their attention was fixed on some electronic device.

I've had my Prius for over 4 years now and have never played the radio or CD player.  I like to be alone and quiet at times.  Driving is great time for that.

It's so easy top get addicted to these things.  I suppose some people are more prone to addiction than others, especially those who have few interests.  

There was a Star Trek episode where Commander Riker came back from a vacation on Rigel with a mesmerizing game.  He replicated it and soon the entire crew was hooked on it and, of course, Data and vunderkid Wesley saved them all.  But when I see so many people staring at that little case I'm reminded of that episode.

When people start relying on technology more than they rely on themselves I find that disturbing.

On Jeopardy the other evening (we watch it while having dinner) I was surprised to learn that it is now considered impolite to leave a voice message instead of a text message.  What's with that?

I tell my doctors not to text me because I don't text.  They have to phone me to remind me of appointments instead.  My flip phone has text on it but I refuse to use it.  I prefer personal contact. with people.  Paint me Luddite.

Noel

It is fascinating to me that you would think that the people you see using technology  are afraid of something. Isn't it just as possible that they are using it because they can , or for work? 

16 hours ago, birdguy said:

I suppose some people are more prone to addiction than others, especially those who have few interests.

And where did this gem come from? I see folks using their phones and I don't think it's my place to wonder why, or judge.

Isn't it possible that there are people who aren't interested in the scenery while riding the train? So what.

So now you get your social information from Jeopardy?

16 hours ago, birdguy said:

When people start relying on technology more than they rely on themselves I find that disturbing.

Technology is a tool. Like any other. I rely on a hammer to drive nails because it is better than using my fist, or a rock. I have used a rock. 

For me there are far more disturbing things than if someone uses a smartphone or not. 

16 hours ago, birdguy said:

I've had my Prius for over 4 years now and have never played the radio or CD player.  I like to be alone and quiet at times.  Driving is great time for that.

Oddly enough I don't play the radio in my car either. Well, truthfully not the AM/FM music radio at least. I do have a 2m/70cm FM ham radio and a 70cm Digital Mobile Radio (also ham) installed that I use to talk to other hams while travelling.

I thought the entire point of using an observation car in a train is to watch the world go by. Actually I'd like to take a long railroad trip in the USA for just such an experience. Perhaps those phone users had nowhere else to sit on the train?

Most of the time I don't use the radio or CD player in my car.In fact I like listening to the off-beat 5 cylinder growl of my Land Rover Discovery TD5. I'd sooner own a car with a better musical instrument under the hood though: an old US muscle car perhaps, can't beat 8 cylinders in a Vee...unless its a V12 Lamborghini IMHO! Some V6 powered cars sound great too.

I do have a CB radio for those occasions when I've been "green laning" (a form of off-roading here in the UK). Makes the trips more enjoyable chatting with the others in the group, not to mention safer on tricky terrain. Also works where there's no cell phone signal - another tool in the box to get help in an emergency. Also we're allowed to use them whilst driving - exempt from mobile phone laws.

I'm with Noel regarding the lack of SA: The iPhone-inserted jaywalking pedestrian can all too easily not hear or see a vehicle bearing down upon them.

As to SA. The same thing happens if you are walking and talking with the person next to you. Or day dreaming. Or any number of things. I don't listen to music on the car radio, either. Usually NPR.

As you may have guessed by now, Bob,  I am a highly opinionated person and I am prone to making judgements. 

This started out when I mentioned my two daughters who visited for Mothers Day ignoring their Mom during the Mothers Day dinner comparing photographs on their smart phones oblivious of their surroundings or what they were there for.  In my opinion I judged that extremely rude.

Since then I have noticed how many people are welded to their devices 24-7.  Smart phones should be tools but they have become a social phenomenon.  They reduce personal face to face contact.  People say things that wouldn't say face to face.  For many people they are not tools, they are addictions.

I'm sure you don't hang your hammer around your neck and carry it around everywhere you go in case there's nail to be driven into something somewhere.

Many times I have seen people hang up and immediately call someone else like they are afraid of not being connected.

I have a friend who runs a hobby and coin shop.  I was in there one day having a cup of coffee with him when a lady walked in with a brief case.  She had a collection of sports card she wanted him to carry in his shop.  At least four times during her presentation her phone rang and she said she had to take the call.  Those calls were important to her than the person she was trying to sell her merchandise to.  The next time her phone rang he told her to leave.

There is commercial making the rounds on television now where a family is sitting at the dinner table.  The young girl is mesmerized by her phone playing a game that is beeping away.  Her father takes it from her and dumps it in the pitcher of lemonade.  Good for him!  Later they return to the scene and she says, "The lemonade is ringing."

My wife and I both have flip phones.  When hers rings she runs up (literally runs as fast as an old lady can run) to answer it.  I'm the opposite.  If I am reading or watching TV or flying my simulator the call can wait.  They can leave me a voice message or call me back later if it's important. My phone stays on my desk.  I never carry it around with me.

To me telephones are bothersome.  I have too many unimportant things to do than spend my day talking on the phone.  Especially to telemarketers.  Although sometimes I have fun with them.

I was at my desk and the phone rang and it someone wanting t sell me an aftermarket warrantee for my car.  I told him I didn't need one for that car but  had another car I could use such a warrantee for.  I kept him on the phone for several minutes asking about the coverage and how long the warranty would be good for and pricing.  When we got to pricing he asked me for the make ,year and model of the car,  I told him it was a 1952 Studebaker.  He hung up on me.

In three weeks I will be 84 years old.  I have earned the right to be judgmental and to express my opinion on those judgements.  And I suppose I will keep doing it until I am lying in a hospice somewhere telling the nurse to get off the damned phone and get me my dinner.

Noel

Mark, those folks in the observation car had either reserved seats in coach or a room in the sleeper car.  The observation-lounge car can't accommodate everyone on the train. The phone addicts are stealing seats from those who enjoy watching the scenery.

Noel

"As you may have guessed by now, Bob,  I am a highly opinionated person and I am prone to making judgements."

No kidding?

Well, I guess that does it! We've made a very solid case for FSX!

 

Bruce