Are smart phones and the lack of

[stomachmonkey]

Bought Conner an Apple watch last year to help him deal with his lack of time management skills that are a part of his Autism.

On a whim bought one for myself and Stacy over the weekend.

Wish I'd bought one sooner.

Nothing wrong with technology when applied correctly.

To say otherwise is to deny it was a good idea to hook a draft animal up to a cart or invent the wheel to begin with.

[JavaBrewer]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

Nothing wrong with technology when applied correctly.

To say otherwise is to deny it was a good idea to hook a draft animal up to a cart or invent the wheel to begin with.

^yep

Smart phones aren't really phones anymore. As others have stated they are mobile computers tied to a mobile app store that has nearly everything you need to help manage your life. I say that, with only 5 store apps installed on my 'device', cause out of the box it has 90% of what I need/want as far as functionality. I partake in Facebook, cause I'm an old guy, but do not have it installed on my phone. I check it at home before I go to bed. My phone is a communication device (voice/text), location device (GPS), camera, notes, weather, and the few apps I have a banking device. Oh yeah forgot I have a couple free games installed to kill time while I'm waiting for something stupid. I have never paid for an app because I can put up with the random ad for 10 seconds. Things might change and I will reconsider...but i will resist cause I am one who appreciates looking around and seeing with my own eyes. That is what got me into cars 45 years ago, the ability to see stuff.

[gtc]

No, smartphones are just an easy scapegoat for old people.

Originally Posted by Shaun @ Tru6

shared sacrifice killing our country?

[Pazuzu]

Smart phones aren't the root cause, it's the fact that the smart phone companies have convinced us, more than any other industry, that we must buy a new one every 18 months, no matter what.

Lease an incredibly expensive phone to make it affordable, then after 18 months, come in and get the upgraded version. Rinse and repeat. No one would spend $500-1000 every 2 years on their desktop computer, but they're happy to drop that coin on something that lives in their pocket and shatters regularly. Oh...and they spend 4 times that for the 4 people in the house.

If your $600 phone is slowing down and obsolete after 2 years, then it was a rip off. Technology is better than that...

[rfuerst911sc]

My wife and I are retired and both have smart phones . They are our only phones so that is their primary use . We also use to check/send emails , text and that's about it . Neither of us use Facebook/Twitter or any other social media platform. It is just a tool it does not run our lives .

Like anything else it can be abused , there is personal discipline involved . When you allow it to be your everything you have no one to blame other than yourself .

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by Shaun @ Tru6

(lack of) shared sacrifice......

I don't believe smart phone addiction and lack of shared sacrifice are connected.

They are not mutually exclusive but those that live their lives with their face in a phone are not necessarily hedonists.

One can argue the shared sacrifice concept was eroded greatly with the end of the draft in 1973. Just talkin' from the armchair.

[RWebb]

Originally Posted by gtc

No, smartphones are just an easy scapegoat for old people.

ok, Boomer

[Tobra]

No on the former, yes on the latter.

No, the two things are not related

[Rawknees'Turbo]

Originally Posted by gtc

No, smartphones are just an easy scapegoat for old people.

Some old people have very hungry appetites for smartphones and social media; take our Tweeter in charge, for one.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by Bob Kontak

I don't believe smart phone addiction and lack of shared sacrifice are connected.

They are not mutually exclusive but those that live their lives with their face in a phone are not necessarily hedonists.

One can argue the shared sacrifice concept was eroded greatly with the end of the draft in 1973. Just talkin' from the armchair.

The dichotomy of smart phones is interesting to me. On one hand, they connect people from all over the world. But on the other, it's a very low quality connection with each user's focus on themselves vs. in-person interaction with real eye contact and reading visual cues. It's a much richer experience and all parties have the opportunity to give and take more away. Smart phones transmit data, physicality creates experience.

Shared sacrifice is arguably one of the richest forms of experience humans have.

That is how I connect the two.

Full circle, cell phones transmit data.

Shared sacrifice and experience creates deep, emotional bonds.

An excess of the former and distinct lack of the latter is destroying our culture. That's my hypothesis.

[Crowbob]

More and more people cannot distinguish differences between transmitted data and deep, emotional bonds.

I do not think this is natural. And though I also don't believe it was an intentional development, I do believe that once it was discovered, that inability has been facilitated.

[GH85Carrera]

So Shaun, are you wanting us involved with conflict like WW2? Then the entire country had rationing, and most people had a relative in the service fighting for the freedom of the world. Rationing of car tires, and basic foods was a very real thing. My parents talked about it and hated it.

I could go on, but it would likely push the thread into PARF.

[Tervuren]

Sacrifice is an intentional choice to see something of value to you be forever lost or destroyed.
The only reason people make sacrifices is their own perception that the choice will yield something of more value, either immediate, or later.
Shared sacrifice requires something held in value by all those that share in the sacrifice, and it requires something that belongs to all those who hold it in value, further, it requires the loss of value by all due to a choice made by each to release the loss of value.

There is a difference between shared loss, and shared sacrifice.
Shared sacrifice as a country would be exceedingly rare throughout history, shared loss is another matter.
If anything, smartphones increase the chances for shared loss as they increase the ability to find others willing to undergo the same loss you are.

If you want to increase shared sacrifice you must decrease shared obligation.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

So Shaun, are you wanting us involved with conflict like WW2? Then the entire country had rationing, and most people had a relative in the service fighting for the freedom of the world. Rationing of car tires, and basic foods was a very real thing. My parents talked about it and hated it.

I could go on, but it would likely push the thread into PARF.

I don't understand your non sequitur in the context of this thread. It's a meaningless scenario given the discussion.

[Sarc]

Originally Posted by Shaun @ Tru6

On one hand, they connect people from all over the world. But on the other, it's a very low quality connection

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

So Shaun, are you wanting us involved with conflict like WW2? Then the entire country had rationing, and most people had a relative in the service fighting for the freedom of the world. Rationing of car tires, and basic foods was a very real thing. My parents talked about it and hated it.

Ironically, I think he just provided some validation to the concern you and I share.


Best,

[Tobra]

Originally Posted by Shaun @ Tru6

I don't understand your non sequitur in the context of this thread. It's a meaningless scenario given the discussion.

really?

[Tervuren]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

So Shaun, are you wanting us involved with conflict like WW2? Then the entire country had rationing, and most people had a relative in the service fighting for the freedom of the world. Rationing of car tires, and basic foods was a very real thing. My parents talked about it and hated it.

I could go on, but it would likely push the thread into PARF.

This isn't sacrifice.

When native americans took someone and killed them for their gods, that was not making a sacrifice; they were making an offering. If a person in their community gave themselves up to be killed willingly then that is sacrifice.

If you need new tires, but choose not to buy new tires to save the rubber production for the war effort that is sacrifice.
If you show up at the tire store and you've already punched your ticketed amount for rationing, that isn't sacrifice. It isn't your choice to get new tires or not, that choice was made against you.
You say they hated it, that wasn't sacrifice. That was being obliged to do without. Doing without is not always sacrifice; it is only sacrifice when it is the choice of the person with control over whether they do without or not.

If it is an obligation, it isn't sacrifice. If it is a regulation, it isn't sacrifice, if it is a ration, that isn't sacrifice.

The same is true for mothers of lost soldiers, if they didn't choose their son's path and their son was killed in combat, then they did not sacrifice him.
Now some mothers do bring their children up to be soldiers and champions, others do not.
Sometimes they do make the choice to encourage that path, others do not. Both are not sacrifice, but I would concede that perhaps one of those could be sacrifice.

[sugarwood]

They've been saying the same thing since the days of the printing press, cars, radio, TV, computer, etc.
Nothing ever changes. Every innovation is the end of days. Repent sinners!!

[Bob Kontak]

+1 Shared experience.

2017 - My pal's wife said you need to get over here quickly to say goodbye to her husband and my lifetime pal with bladder cancer. Four hours out and back in the car to tell him I loved him and that it was my privilege to be his friend.

She was born in '50. Me in '56. It's just what you do.

On the other hand..........

Lady friend's daughter chose to end her life in August. She posted the news on Facebook asking for "space" for her and her family as her phone was blowing up in the hospital while they waited for the daughter to pass.

Kids literally posted "OMG, WTF happened?" after she posted the request.