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Phones Should Be Like Toothbrushes

emptyyourcup.substack.com

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Re: Phones Should Be Like Toothbrushes

#51

Post by closeparen »

Funes- wrote: post #14
V-2 wrote: post #6

> Your toothbrush is the greatest tool of all time. You only use it when you’re supposed to for as long as you need to and then let it go. I use my phone to play blitz chess online (I'm a chess player; if you play chess, you shouldn't focus exclusively on blitz, but it does have its place eg. to help quickly practice new openings)... to listen to podcasts (for instance when I'm washing the dishes - no dishwasher wher…

> to listen to podcasts [...] or to read articles on Hacker News, for one. Do I need to do any of these? No. Certainly not in the same sense as I need brushing my teeth. But these are my pastimes. I also don't need reading a book, listening to a radio show or going to standup comedy. It's entertainment . That's the thing: The apps that take up most of the average person's smartphone daily usage[0] are designed to exp…

I did just as much mindless idling before regular access to computers and a phone. I did it pacing around, staring out the window, and watching bad TV.

Re: Phones Should Be Like Toothbrushes

#52

Post by PascLeRasc »

0x5002 wrote: post #28
Jorge1o1 wrote: post #21

I’ve never really bought into the argument that if we set aside our phones, all that liberated free time will go towards “something useful.” People aren’t going to spend those 2.5 hours a day learning a new language, or coding a side project or whatever, they’re going to find something else that’s mindless and entertaining like sitting in front of the TV for 2.5 hours a day.

I'm inclined to disagree to a degree. I don't use my phone for anything but Messengers and Twitter (apart from the "utilities", such as Uber or an alarm) - and have deleted by Twitter account a while ago. After doing that, I find myself looking at my phone out of habit/boredeom, but realize I removed the last time wasting app (I got rid of reddit about a year ago) and turn the thing off again. This results in me doin…

I think the quality of Twitter can be excellent if you're following "the right" people. I'd be happy to recommend some users who post incredibly intriguing content if you're interested.

Re: Phones Should Be Like Toothbrushes

#53

Post by PascLeRasc »

david_frier wrote: post #2

I get the point, but "like a toothbrush" is a stretch. Dentists think none of us spends enough time with the toothbrush.

Dentists are like Linux fans. You tell them you brush with some toothpaste and they'll say "that one's bad, you need to try this toothpaste or it doesn't even count".

(I'm a Linux fan too).

Re: Phones Should Be Like Toothbrushes

#54

Post by majkinetor »

vortico wrote: post #27

Getting a smartphone a few years ago was a great change of my life. I can now catch up on boring emails, tech support, and GitHub issues while being in a place otherwise doing nothing. Typing on my phone is only about 1.5x the effort as typing on a keyboard. So when I'm in front of a real PC, I can get straight to the useful work like programming without an hour of catch-up per day. This results on me taking walks an…

Exactly.

Regarding people, you need to spend time with them and its not true that 100% of that time is useful. While you previously did absolutely nothing, now you can do infinitely many things of various complexity and usefulness WHILE STILL BEING HALF-PRESENT. You have more choices. I am also VERY IMPATIENT, and with phone stuff that were driving me crazy are now not a problem at all.

The article is completely meaningless - the two things are not comparable.

Many people like to do mostly meaningless stuff - watch reality shows, read the newspapers, read pulp fiction, watch sport events every day with a lot of emotions. Phone is another medium, nothing else. People will find ways to do such things on any kind of medium.

One thing is more concerning - time doing nothing (boredom) is reduced a lot with a phone because its so effective in accessing stuff from everywhere. During such times human brain can practice imagination and problem solving (there is nothing detracting ATM).

Simply turning off notifications and real time sync is enough - I usually check for a mail 3 times a day manually and sync the phone even less then that (not only on phone but on Desktop too). I think that method works pretty good.

Re: Phones Should Be Like Toothbrushes

#56

Post by 0x5002 »

PascLeRasc wrote: post #52
0x5002 wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm inclined to disagree to a degree. I don't use my phone for anything but Messengers and Twitter (apart from the "utilities", such as Uber or an alarm) - and have deleted by Twitter account a while ago. After doing that, I find myself looking at my phone out of habit/boredeom, but realize I removed the last time wasting app (I got rid of reddit about a year ago) and turn the thing off again. This results in me doin…

I think the quality of Twitter can be excellent if you're following "the right" people. I'd be happy to recommend some users who post incredibly intriguing content if you're interested.

I would be interested in that.

Re: Phones Should Be Like Toothbrushes

#57

Post by vallode »

em-bee wrote: post #50
vallode wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I actually meant reading a book on the phone :) As in: "The two hours someone spends on a phone could be reading books, is that so bad?" Not quite sure why some would see reading on a phone as lesser, maybe because its tied to the rest of the addictive phone environment?

most of my phone time is spent listening to audiodrama and books. on average i spend more time on that than watching tv.

Could you recommend some audio-drama? I'd love to listen to something like that!

Re: Phones Should Be Like Toothbrushes

#58

Post by V-2 »

anoncake wrote: post #49
V-2 wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Being able to entertain oneself by using an electronic device is not a bad thing per se; however, smartphones have enabled corporations to dictate our behavior during every single hour of our waking lives I see it as a mere externalization of responsiblity for being, well, lazy. Somehow I'm never browsing Facebook or Instagram for pictures of cats and the like. I guess they must have overlooked me when they "dictat…

> Somehow I'm never browsing Facebook or Instagram for pictures of cats and the like. I guess they must have overlooked me when they "dictated" behavior to people. It's great that the methods Facebook uses don't work on you, be it because their "product" just does not interest you or because you have above average self-control. Other people are not as lucky.

My point is that adopting such point of view is a form of fatalism that leads to erosion of self-control.

Re: Phones Should Be Like Toothbrushes

#60

Post by KozmoNau7 »

vortico wrote: post #27

Getting a smartphone a few years ago was a great change of my life. I can now catch up on boring emails, tech support, and GitHub issues while being in a place otherwise doing nothing. Typing on my phone is only about 1.5x the effort as typing on a keyboard. So when I'm in front of a real PC, I can get straight to the useful work like programming without an hour of catch-up per day. This results on me taking walks an…

We're forgetting how to "do nothing", and honestly I think that's a bad thing. I relish the opportunities I get to just sit down and do absolutely nothing, daydream and let my thoughts wander. As a form of meditation or reflection, it lets me gather my thoughts and relax.
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