"I used to be a human being": I like this phrase. It captures, poetically, the existential despair of losing the conditions of humanity. Regardless of if the author's particular conditions necessitates the implicit drama, each of one us, I'm sure, have felt like we lost what made us "real" or "authentic" at some point or another.
People have complained about the loss of authenticity for much longer than the internet (much less social media) has been around.
It happens around any time of great change. We happen to be living through a period of some of the fastest changes in human history, so it's not surprising a lot of people are confused and feel like they've lost something.
Did this really need a 7000+ word essay? If you don't like Facebook, don't use it. If you're concerned about "distraction overload" then remove things from your life you find distracting. Nobody is putting a gun to your head and forcing you to use smartphone apps and 10 different text messaging systems. If you want to live as a technology-free hermit, go right ahead. But don't try to argue that I should live like you…
Or, how about the writer has experienced something very personal which their editor thought would appeal to an audience as wide as that of NYMag? Perhaps, instead of just saying the writer is wrong, you could try and empathise with the position, see if you feel better after some time apart from the internet. Try and understand another perspective. Writing is 1 to many, the author was most certainly not writing just f…
It's fine to say, "Hey, I don't like this--here's the personal story about how I had a huge problem with it." It goes off the rails when he starts calling it "our" [collective] problem. Sorry, I just think that's assuming an awful lot about one's audience.
I read somewhere recently that smart phones have essentially become random gratification engines in the same way as slot machines. Sometimes on a slot machine you win the jackpot, because of this every pull gives you an endorphin kick, each time we pick up our phones or get a notification it might be an important/interesting thing, therefore we get a little endorphin kick that keeps us checking. Because of this I tur…
This is the daily reminder that technology is not politically or socially "neutral".
What was the origin of that quote? I mentioned it offhand in conversation the other day but couldn't remember where I'd heard it.
I read somewhere recently that smart phones have essentially become random gratification engines in the same way as slot machines. Sometimes on a slot machine you win the jackpot, because of this every pull gives you an endorphin kick, each time we pick up our phones or get a notification it might be an important/interesting thing, therefore we get a little endorphin kick that keeps us checking. Because of this I tur…
This is the daily reminder that technology is not politically or socially "neutral".
I see his point and used to read his blog. But could he have been just as effective online while scheduling in a real life? That is, he could have achieved as much or more with some measure of balance. Easier said than done.
I'm not saying I have a life but I'm hoping to get one real soon now.
I read somewhere recently that smart phones have essentially become random gratification engines in the same way as slot machines. Sometimes on a slot machine you win the jackpot, because of this every pull gives you an endorphin kick, each time we pick up our phones or get a notification it might be an important/interesting thing, therefore we get a little endorphin kick that keeps us checking. Because of this I tur…
Regarding "smartphones as slot machines", the piece you are remembering is this one by Tristan Harris, probably: https://medium.com/swlh/how-technology-hijacks-peoples-minds... "How Technology Hijacks Minds"
I read somewhere recently that smart phones have essentially become random gratification engines in the same way as slot machines. Sometimes on a slot machine you win the jackpot, because of this every pull gives you an endorphin kick, each time we pick up our phones or get a notification it might be an important/interesting thing, therefore we get a little endorphin kick that keeps us checking. Because of this I tur…
https://medium.com/@tristanharris/how-technology-hijacks-peo... Related - you may have read it here.
I read somewhere recently that smart phones have essentially become random gratification engines in the same way as slot machines. Sometimes on a slot machine you win the jackpot, because of this every pull gives you an endorphin kick, each time we pick up our phones or get a notification it might be an important/interesting thing, therefore we get a little endorphin kick that keeps us checking. Because of this I tur…
For some reason, I misread what you said as: "smart people have essentially become random gratification engines in the same way as slot machines." Somehow, that seems strangely appropriate. If you're making interesting posts on social networks like Facebook (or HN, for that matter), you're providing that instant gratification you're talking about. Similar things could be said about those building social networks and…
Did this really need a 7000+ word essay? If you don't like Facebook, don't use it. If you're concerned about "distraction overload" then remove things from your life you find distracting. Nobody is putting a gun to your head and forcing you to use smartphone apps and 10 different text messaging systems. If you want to live as a technology-free hermit, go right ahead. But don't try to argue that I should live like you…
You haven't really addressed the article. Are the descriptions of how smartphones have changed society and the people living in it wrong in some way? I'd be curious to hear thoughts on that. You spent 3 paragraphs essentially saying "I disagree", with little elaboration. "Living technology-free" is a strawman. The author is saying we should be more conscious of how we use technology, not abandon it all together. P.S.…
It was about to be a great story about how smartphones and technology distraction affected _him_, and how he dealt with it. Then it took a turn down the "this is a problem for all of us" path. Think of a hobby you really enjoy, and then imagine someone telling you "I didn't like that hobby--I thought it was a bad use of my time, AND I think it's a bad use of your time too!" He has a right to say it of course, but I think it's fair to have a personal reaction to that.