Are smart phones dumbing us down

[demographic]

I don't see many folk carting a PC around all the time and using it as a conversation substitute as they do with Smartphones.....

Used to be some saddos stood playing the bandits in pubs, now its the same people dicking about with their phones. It was always something.

The overacting poor sad girl in the short film just hangs around with the wrong mates. Plus she could do with some nails for that cross she's carrying.
Plus kids having phones they feel the need to feed money has lessened the amount of them that can afford to smoke.

That's a Meh from me about that short film.

Personally I have a fairly stupid phone, but it still takes pictures and I find that I actually bother taking pictures nowadays because of it. Before I never bothered because I was too busy doing things to carry a camera about with me and I've missed a hell of a lot of pics because of it.

Its just a tool, like any other it can be overused. Although I don't miss the lack of the slightly spammy "Sent via Tapatalk from my whatever phone" on this thread. That's a plus.

 

[Swallow]

There seems to be something about the nature of the beast that fosters dependence. I've quoted elsewhere about my mate spending 2 years in London before he woke up to the fact that he didn't know how to get anywhere in London at all, his phone did.

The Web and search engines did the first generation a great service by extending their Information "Foraging" skills.

The following generations mostly can't forage for information without the add-on.

"Research" is something that has it's roots the primitive/primary skill of Foraging, which both requires and builds intelligence.

As it looks to me like the Search Engines are replacing, rather than enhancing that skill for most people then I would say it is depriving people of that foraging skill and the associated building of intelligence.

So IMO they will dumb down anyone who has not woken up to this, and that is most people.

And TBH the same seems to be happening with the other primary skill of communication. Video calls are a great extension. Anti-social networking is not.

 

[crosslandkelly]

There seems to be something about the nature of the beast that fosters dependence. I've quoted elsewhere about my mate spending 2 years in London before he woke up to the fact that he didn't know how to get anywhere in London at all, his phone did.

The Web and search engines did the first generation a great service by extending their Information "Foraging" skills.

The following generations mostly can't forage for information without the add-on.

"Research" is something that has it's roots the primitive/primary skill of Foraging, which both requires and builds intelligence.

As it looks to me like the Search Engines are replacing, rather than enhancing that skill for most people then I would say it is depriving people of that foraging skill and the associated building of intelligence.

So IMO they will dumb down anyone who has not woken up to this, and that is most people.

And TBH the same seems to be happening with the other primary skill of communication. Video calls are a great extension. Anti-social networking is not.

You've hit the nail right on the head there. These things should be used as tools, instead they are used as crutches.

 

[Swallow]

One recent use of this tool is to scare away bears, adding weight to Rik's argument that they are a survival kit.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-24022893

 

[dwardo]

Its just manners like most other day to day interaction. Its also a relatively new phenomenon and as usual social boundaries take a while to catch up.
I will not answer calls whilst speaking to someone in the pub for instance, that's just bad manners, the same way I would not just go off and start talking to someone else mid conversation.
As for my smart-phone I would not be without it unless I am lucky enough to be in the wilds where I now take a simple cheaper phone for emergencies.
My phone is not only my remote office but also my camera, newspaper, dictionary, calculator, photo gallery, weather station, GPS, Satnav, ebook, phone and contact book not to mention actually making calls and one of the best research tools man has ever had.
Like all tools they need to be used properly.

 

[BearInTheWoods]

One recent use of this tool is to scare away bears, adding weight to Rik's argument that they are a survival kit.

If I walked among bears, I think I'd prefer something in .338LM rather than in IOS7.

 

[Swallow]

If I walked among bears, I think I'd prefer something in .338LM rather than in IOS7.

I heard that's a planned feature for the iphone 6.

 

[Opal]

I can't believe the idiots who use their phone walking across roads totally oblivious to traffic, coming out of the hospital a few weeks back, I honked my horn at one dimwit who was walking across the pelican crossings when showing red for her, no reaction from her at all.

 

[rik_uk3]

I can't believe the idiots we used to get in A&E who'd smashed themselves (and often others) up when driving and using a mobile phone.

Before anyone says 'hands free' is safe, spend some time on google and look at new research which shows your no safer using that then you are holding a phone in your hand when driving.

 

[Stringmaker]

I can't believe the idiots we used to get in A&E who'd smashed themselves (and often others) up when driving and using a mobile phone.

Before anyone says 'hands free' is safe, spend some time on google and look at new research which shows your no safer using that then you are holding a phone in your hand when driving.

Every day without fail I spot drivers texting; it's dead easy to clock them because they keep looking down instead of at the road. In that regard, it is mobile phones in general that have dumbed people down.

Incidentally, does anyone on here confess to camping out for a new(!) i-phone 5?

Please, nobody say yes......

 

[wingstoo]

Every day without fail I spot drivers texting; it's dead easy to clock them because they keep looking down instead of at the road. In that regard, it is mobile phones in general that have dumbed people down.

[video=youtube;9krX9fHAfHM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9krX9fHAfHM[/video]

 

[Macaroon]

Absolutely horrific!!! But people still do it all the time................Sometimes you can only shake your head in wonder.

 

[British Red]

The one that always gets to me is women smearing gunk on their face, whilst looking in the well named "vanity mirror"....whilst still driving!

 

[rik_uk3]

[video=youtube;9krX9fHAfHM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9krX9fHAfHM[/video]

No BS, I've seen for real a lot worse

 

[wingstoo]

Strange though that it is apparently deemed safe for Police patrol car drivers to use their comms systems whilst driving okenest:

 

[Niels]

If calling hands free in a car distracts you, that raises this question: Wouldn't talking to another person in the car distract you as well?

 

[Harvestman]

If calling hands free in a car distracts you, that raises this question: Wouldn't talking to another person in the car distract you as well?

I saw a driver and passenger having a conversation - using sign language! Both hands off the wheel.

 

[wingstoo]

I saw a driver and passenger having a conversation - using sign language! Both hands off the wheel.

That's what knees were put under the steering wheel for...

 

[Jared]

Louis CK on smartphones.

[video=youtube;5HbYScltf1c]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HbYScltf1c[/video]

 

[rik_uk3]

If calling hands free in a car distracts you, that raises this question: Wouldn't talking to another person in the car distract you as well?

Yes, in a nutshell it will as will listening to the radio but get real, none are the same as talking on a phone.

See one or two people smashed up and perhaps people would not be so ****** glib about the topic.

Just off to bang my own head against the wall