If I decided that I wanted to get rich and open a business, I’d open a clinic for CPA, Cell Phone Addiction.
Obviously, you don’t have to be hooked on a substance to be an addict. Look at Gamblers’ Anonymous. Almost all of my friends suffer from CPA, and I’m sick of it so I shall vent here and rant.
When we gather for lunch, they greet me with, “Hello, Joan, and how are your (…beep, buzz or ping. At this point they look at their texts, text back, check out the latest Facebook pings, etc.) daughters?” I start to answer their questions when once again, their eyes fasten on their phones. They only semi-hear my answer. Phones are sitting on the table. Conversations may only last a paragraph before their phones interrupt verbal statements. Then there are several minutes of texting before the next semi-conversation begin.
I was walking with a friend at our local mall, and she held the phone out in front of her the whole time we walked. She laughingly said she should be careful because last week a lady was reading her texts while walking at the mall and walked into a wall and needed head stitches.
And this addiction knows NO age group. It encompasses youth to my more mature friends.
Yep, I’ve complained to them. Last week I hosted our book club and asked people to turn off their phones unless they had a dying relative at a hospital. That made them mad. They think I’m weird for not having my phone on constantly.
Several of my friends and I have medical back problems. Last week an article came out on dealing with back pain. It said the cell phone was contributing to our issues. Supposedly bending our heads to constantly look at our phones puts 60 pounds of pressure on our necks and upper backs.
Seriously, I think some people who have to turn off their cell phones for an hour or two literally start to suffer WITHDRAWAL symptoms.
If anyone ever opens a Cell Phone (or tablet, etc.) Addiction clinic, I’d like to become a shareholder.
Anyone here want to confess to such an addiction or how to overcome this addiction?
I've never understood the need for constant two-way communication. Are people terrified of being alone for even a few minutes or hours? I just don't get it. I only recently bought my first cell phone and even then it's only for work. Solitude and quiet are things I cherish.
I just ignore those who are like that. People naturally want to be heard, and social media provided the means for the average person to make that happen to an extreme.
Joan, I could have written your post. We are on the very same page. I was dragged into the cell phone world kicking and screaming. I never wanted one. But in the business world it ultimately became a necessity. Same with texting. I resisted it as long as possible, until I was forced to communicate via texts with other business people. I loathe it.
Two years ago, a college-age lady asked me a question. "If you could go back in time and change just one thing, what would it be?" She paused, and added, "Take as long as you like to think about your answer." "I don't need any more time!" I was practically shouting. "I would prevent the meeting of the Blackberry CEO and the Coca-Cola man!" "What?" "A number of years ago, the CEO of Blackberry attended a conference at a local hotel. He was thirsty, and stepped into the hallway to buy a can of Coke. When he got to the machine, the Coca-Cola man was filling it. The CEO noticed that the Coke guy had exactly enough cans to fill the machine perfectly. Not one more or one less. "How did you know in advance how many cans to bring with you?" asked the CEO. The Coke guy replied, "The machines have built-in computers, and they text our office with the exact number of cans needed to refill them." The perennial light bulb over the head snapped on, and the personal text was born. "WHY would you want to change that?" the lady asked. "If for no other reason than to save the lives of hundreds of thousands of drivers who have been killed by other drivers who were texting behind the wheel," I said. However, the picture is so much larger. This technology is dehumanizing our society.
When I look at families sitting in restaurants, not speaking to each other, but all of them staring into their mobile devices, I am horrified. Modern civilization is being morphed into a global herd of cattle, led around by the nose with the hook of technology.
PS: A dear friend of mine was killed last June. A 37 year-old mother of three, her car was broadsided by a 16 year-old driver who was texting.
It's obnoxious, rude, classless, and disrespectful, demonstrating the ever devolving minds of the people. We used to teach our children to pay attention and be polite. Now adults act just as childish with their toys.
It's sort of amusing how once the great "prediction" about future technology with which Star Trek was credited was the communicator/cellphone. It hasn't gotten nearly as much hype, but it looks like the tricorder beat the pants off the communicator.
Joan i couldve written your post too but it wouldnt have been so 'eloquently' written and would have had more words beginning with f. However the irony isnt lost on me. Im posting this...from my poxy samsung phone. Whilst blanking a girl im on a date with.
My mobile smart phone is clearly among the most useful and important devices I own. Yet you wouldn't know it, because I don't text and chat and check Facebook while I am having conversations with people in person. (Or dinner.)
Well, I confess that I do check my emails constantly on my iPhone when I'm away from the office, even in leisure time. I get a lot of business emails and some of the work I do is time-critical so I have to respond to many of these ivery quickly.
Slightly different perspective from someone in a different situation. I'm nearing the end of a week in hospital, my first hospital stay since 2004. Thankfully the reason I'm here, an injected elbow, hasn't been painful or stressful. Hence, I've had a lot of bed time to kill. I first went to the hospital last week expecting to just be given some antibiotics, so I was rather surprised when told a week in hospital was highly recommended. "Can I pop home and get a few things first?"
I collected my MacBook and Kindle, and I already had on me my iPhone with 110 GB of music, mostly soundtracks.
Cell phone (or "mobile phone") addiction reminds me of that Star Trek: TNG episode where everyone on the Enterprise was fixated on a video game device. Not sure of the title ("The Game", perhaps?) but man oh man did they get the call on that one right.
Cell phone (or "mobile phone") addiction reminds me of that Star Trek: TNG episode where everyone on the Enterprise was fixated on a video game device. Not sure of the title ("The Game", perhaps?) but man oh man did they get the call on that one right.
Let me add that I do understand the need for some people to always carry a turned on cell phone. Our next door neighbor is Chief of Police, and when he visits with us, he must carry a phone. We have friends who are doctors, and if they are on call, they must carry a phone.
I love having a cellphone in my car when I travel. It gives me a sense of safety, and I turn it on a few times a day; however, I turn it off when I’m in a crowd of friends. If we travel out of town, I check my e mails on it and check out what is new at FSM. What I don’t do is live on it.
I know some families always had to have the TV on during dinner. Not us. Dinner was family interaction time. Now kids and mom and dad too often have cellphones at the dinner table and interact with their phones between bites. I find that pathetic.
I’m glad Chris mentioned texting and driving. Now new cars allow you to verbally text. Last week I was with a friend on a highway, and she kept trying to verbally text her husband. It wouldn’t work, but she kept trying all while driving 70 miles per hour. Her driving became erratic because she wasn’t concentrating on the highway. I finally ticked her off by saying, “Pull over and then text.”
Why do people when in a group have to check out any e mail or text immediately if there is no emergency in their family? I think Adam is right that some people cannot be alone for even a few minutes from their phones even when they are in a group. This need for instant information is kind of dumb unless your business demands constant access. It is an addiction because some can’t delay immediate information gratification.
Cellphones provide ways to communicate, but people have gone too far with it. I can’t help but think about the Friar’s words in Romeo and Juliet. “Love moderately; long love doth so.” How about some moderation? That’s my two cents.
P.S. Now Bill Carson. Quit that "blanking." Just take the work “phooey” and drop the ph and put an f in front of it, and you can say “fooey” and drop those other bad F words.
I also resisted getting a cell phone, but it became necessary 5 years ago(Family health crises, etc.). I have the cheapest phone you can get, a tracfone and I have NEVER texted anyone, nor will I EVER. These IDIOTS WHO CAN'T SHUT THE FUCK UP DRIVE ME CRAZY. About four years ago I was in one of the local Goodwill thrift stores, and this loudmouth bitch was stopped behind where I was standing and she was yammering on and on, so when she asked a question to the person on the other end of the conversation, I ANSWERED HER! She said, "So, how is he doing?", and I said, "Fine, just fine"... then she asked more questions and I answered every one of them... AND SHE WAS EITHER TOTALLY STUPID OR HONESTLY COULDN'T FIGURE OUT THAT I WAS MAKING HER LOOK LIKE AN IDIOT!
Aye Joan, I hear yer. It's a sorry state of affairs. I do have a mobile, but like others have said, mainly for emergencies. I use it only when needed. To be honest, I generally find it a pain in the arse, but I see the sense in it. But watching the youngers today, they seem lost without them. My biggest annoyance is the idiot in the cinema who needs to check their shit every 10 minutes. Now that's an addiction! I hope some changes are made for safety reasons, although we're always gonna have stupid people and stupid people do stupid things. They will always find a way to hurt the innocent with their dipshit attitudes. Stupid is as stupid doooo-ez !!
Ironic that the invention designed to facilitate communication among human beings (the Bell telephone) has "evolved" into the greatest single impediment to communication in our screwy teched-up world. "I have a 'smart phone', which allows me to totally avoid talking to you by restricting my communication to text messages." I held out for a long time, but finally gave in when it became obvious that I would never be able to communicate with my children or friends if I couldn't text or stay current with my email on the fly.
Another hospital iPhone anecdote. Nurses have been taking photos of my elbow every couple of days with iPhones. I've seen ambulance guys use tablets but this was my first time seeing an iPhone used for a medical purpose, not that I hang round hospitals much.
Slightly different perspective from someone in a different situation. I'm nearing the end of a week in hospital, my first hospital stay since 2004. Thankfully the reason I'm here, an injected elbow, hasn't been painful or stressful. Hence, I've had a lot of bed time to kill. I first went to the hospital last week expecting to just be given some antibiotics, so I was rather surprised when told a week in hospital was highly recommended. "Can I pop home and get a few things first?"
I collected my MacBook and Kindle, and I already had on me my iPhone with 110 GB of music, mostly soundtracks.
Best week of my life!
There's nothing wrong with the tools or technology. It's how and when it's used. People tuning out the person in front of them to check their smart phones is like watching a television program in the middle of a conversation.
