I think we'll look at headphones / earphones like cigarettes as well.
Cal Newport on Why We'll Look Back at Our Smartphones Like Cigarettes
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Re: Cal Newport on Why We'll Look Back at Our Smartphones Like Cigarettes
#12Cigarettes are a flawed analogy. There is no such thing as a "healthy" use of cigarettes. But I would argue that smart phones can be used in a healthy way. And I would also argue that the phone itself is not the problem. The problem is the reliance on the endorphin hit that comes from a new IM, like, post, etc. Some app makers have optimized their platform for engagement and have consequently made this highly addicti…
Ah, yes -- the "healthy" card. Good one! Makes you wonder what if "healthy" meant no phones at all... dang! I was fortunate to have a childhood without phones, and if I ever have kids myself I want to give them the same experience no matter what it takes.
the classic "we didn't have nice things when I was a child, so I shall socially constrain my children's options in a completely different era in the same way arbitrarily" style of parenting. I'm sure your kids will be grateful and excited /s
Re: Cal Newport on Why We'll Look Back at Our Smartphones Like Cigarettes
#13I don’t buy the analogy. Do we look back at TV saying the same thing? Granted we have to learn how we can live in balance with smartphones and the always-in mentality. Compared to cigarettes there are a lot of positives things you can do with smartphones.
Yeah. People have been saying it for a long time about tv. At least as long as I can remember.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/tarahaelle/2015/12/02/heads-up-...
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/does-tv-rot-your-...
Re: Cal Newport on Why We'll Look Back at Our Smartphones Like Cigarettes
#14Related tangent: Newport's book "Deep Work" is excellent. It makes a strong case that deep work is increasingly rare, valuable, and meaningful. But it goes way beyond the "what" and the "why", providing the "how", in the form of specific, pragmatic, actionable guidance for achieving just that. Anecdotally, it's been very helpful for me.
Didnt someone do a summary of that book in like a single page somewhere? As in, there were good ideas but it could be summed up to a short paper. I can't find the link now.
Re: Cal Newport on Why We'll Look Back at Our Smartphones Like Cigarettes
#15Cigarettes are a flawed analogy. There is no such thing as a "healthy" use of cigarettes. But I would argue that smart phones can be used in a healthy way. And I would also argue that the phone itself is not the problem. The problem is the reliance on the endorphin hit that comes from a new IM, like, post, etc. Some app makers have optimized their platform for engagement and have consequently made this highly addicti…
Ah, yes -- the "healthy" card. Good one! Makes you wonder what if "healthy" meant no phones at all... dang! I was fortunate to have a childhood without phones, and if I ever have kids myself I want to give them the same experience no matter what it takes.
> no matter what it takes
Hopefully by the time you have kids wisdom highlights why the above is a destructive mentality. So many children are set up for anxiety and pain by their parents imposing so much of their own bullshit on them.
By all means adopt principles that align with your beliefs, but for the love of god numb your ego a touch and realize if you love your children you have to let go of yourself and free them as much as corral and influence them.
Be reasonable, understanding, compassionate, loving and unselfish, and see how 'no matter what it takes' holds up when considering those virtues.
Re: Cal Newport on Why We'll Look Back at Our Smartphones Like Cigarettes
#16I find my smartphone is incredibly hard to light and always goes out unless I draw on it really hard. Also, until I switched to a brand that used USB-C for its charger cable I seemed to put the wrong end in my mouth the first time every time.
Re: Cal Newport on Why We'll Look Back at Our Smartphones Like Cigarettes
#17I don’t buy the analogy. Do we look back at TV saying the same thing? Granted we have to learn how we can live in balance with smartphones and the always-in mentality. Compared to cigarettes there are a lot of positives things you can do with smartphones.
TV isn't the same, as it doesn't contain the same tight feedback loop of reward and punishment as social media.
Re: Cal Newport on Why We'll Look Back at Our Smartphones Like Cigarettes
#18Those Popsockets are held with two fingers like a cigarette.
Re: Cal Newport on Why We'll Look Back at Our Smartphones Like Cigarettes
#19I doubt we will launch a massive campaign against phones unless they kill literally hundreds of thousands like smoking has. It's more likely we will have to for vaping or marijuana use, if they turn out to cause cancer in the millions now using those daily.
Texting while driving comes to mind: https://www.nsc.org/road-safety/safety-topics/distracted-dri...
Eating while driving is also a huge part of the distracted driving problem. Food also causes numerous other health problems; obesity, diabetes and so on.
If we all work really hard we can come up with dumb reasons to ban almost anything. Politicians make careers out of this sort of thing.
Re: Cal Newport on Why We'll Look Back at Our Smartphones Like Cigarettes
#20Cigarettes are a flawed analogy. There is no such thing as a "healthy" use of cigarettes. But I would argue that smart phones can be used in a healthy way. And I would also argue that the phone itself is not the problem. The problem is the reliance on the endorphin hit that comes from a new IM, like, post, etc. Some app makers have optimized their platform for engagement and have consequently made this highly addicti…
> There is no such thing as a "healthy" use of cigarettes.
I don’t think that’s really true. The health effects of a cigarette a week would be indistinguishable from background noise.
The fundamental problem with cigarettes is that they are addictive, and convenient (at one time very convenient), and so it’s easy to smoke more and more. That’s actually very similar to smartphones: their use is addictive, and convenient (you can get a hit at work, in line, in the car, at the store, walking down the street, in bed).
As with tobacco, I believe that the answer is to responsibly use smartphones. Chain-smoking is bad; so too is constantly getting a hit from your smartphone. Smoking a pipe a couple of times a week (or a cigar a couple of times a month) isn’t a problem, and neither is using a smartphone intentionally & deliberately.