The Perils of HIGH TECH Addiction

[JD Spydo]

First off I'll let it be known that I'm a "boomer" ( baby boomer 66 years old). With that said I'll also admit that I don't have nearly the fascination with newer high tech devices as many young people do. But what I'm seeing around me in the past 2 to 3 years is what I believe is "High Tech Addiction". And NO I'm not trying to be funny either. I was at Kansas City the other day to get some things done. I went to various places and virtually everyone at shopping districts, markets, theatres and various other places of interest all you see are people literally brainwashed by their smart cell phones and they don't have their minds on anything else it doesn't seem.

I've never seen it as bad as I'm seeing it now. And with 5G here I believe it's going to get much worse too. Hey I'm not against progress and in some cases I find cell phones to be great for timely communication. But with these smart cell phones and other high tech devices. I know that traffic accidents are on the rise here where I live. And virtually all the other motorists on freeways and major highways are literally glued to their cell phones. It's truly an addiction and in some ways it seems worse than any narcotic. If I didn't know better I would say that it's a major psyop or brainwashing experiment.

Or am I over-reacting? I'm wondering at what point that High Tech Addiction is going to be destructive to our society? People are truly slaves to these devices in many cases.

[James Y]

Joe,

I do believe that people’s brains have been rewired. Especially those who are approximately 40 and younger. I go on walks every day. I’ve noticed people in that age range (and on rare occasions older) simply cannot just go for a walk without talking to someone. At all times of the day, even very early. Sometimes on iPhones, but just as often on Bluetooth devices. I also see people using the latter in the store.

I’ve been alone in a completely quiet store aisle, when all of a sudden, directly behind me I hear, loud as day, “HEY! HOW YA DOIN’, BUDDY?” I turn around, absolutely certain that someone’s addressing me. But no, it’s some idiot on his or her Bluetooth. First off, that’s extremely rude. It’s as if some people don’t see other people who are standing right in front of them anymore, and have zero consideration. If it were ME, I sure as **** wouldn’t come up right behind someone in an otherwise-empty, silent aisle and suddenly yell, “HEY!” I shoot the person an irritated glare, but they’re totally oblivious and going on, “HAVE YOU LOOKED AT THE NEW HOUSE? HOW’S KAREN?” Or some other such nonsense. In some neighborhoods, sneaking up behind someone and suddenly yelling “HEY!” like that will get you clobbered.

As I said, people’s brains have been rewired to require constant stimulation 24/7. Who the **** are these people talking to about nothing, at all hours of the day? The question is rhetorical; I don’t care. It’s other people like them who take (and make) nonsense calls 24 hours a day, too.

It’s also a way of creating disconnect, so we (meaning people in general) don’t have to deal with other people in our immediate environment. I see and hear people on their Bluetooth devices standing in the checkout line, talking to some distant person about standing in a checkout line. Even while they’re paying for their stuff, they’re blabbing away as if the cashier doesn’t even exist. In their minds it’s their ‘force field’ that shields them from the real world. They remind me of that old song; “I Am A Rock, I Am An Island,” but instead of books and poetry, their armor is their iPhones and Bluetooth devices.

Rant over. I’m sure someone will post that I’m a Luddite who doesn’t accept technology. Not true. New technology can be a wonderful thing, even though I’m not a tech geek. But to me it’s a tool to be used to make life easier, not put a barrier between myself and the real world. It’s a tool that I use, instead of the tool that controls me.

Jim

[ChrisinHove]

I think the worst is when you see parents fixated on their devices, when they’re out and about, totally ignoring their little kids.

[SG89]

I think the worst is when you see parents fixated on their devices, when they’re out and about, totally ignoring their little kids.

Used to be that your parents ignored you by talking on the landline or fiddling in the garage and you were left unsupervised from dusk til dawn. "Go play outside I'm busy". Now the parents ignore you in the same room. Wild. Lol. Nothing changes except the methods. Parents will always ignore their children. Then those same parents wonder why when the kid is a teenager the kid ignores the parent right back.

[The Mastiff]

Joe, I agree the newer generations are wired differently than ours ( I'm a boomer also). My son is a great example of that at 34 years old. He has a great work ethic though and is loyal and family oriented so all in all despite his need for electronics he's a great person and I'm lucky to have such a great kid. :)

Joe

[Naperville]

Ahhhhh come on! They are all PhD's and Brain Surgeons on a necessary call to save the world! :p

Hahahahahahaha....

I have a cell phone and I pick it up once a month or so to make sure the battery is still charged. :D

[Donut]

When I think about this, the humorous part to me is: We watch TV and movies about people turning into zombies and it's exciting. In real life and people turn into zombies when they're staring at their phones, it is much less interesting.

[ChrisinHove]

When I think about this, the humorous part to me is: We watch TV and movies about people turning into zombies and it's exciting. In real life and people turn into zombies when they're staring at their phones, it is much less interesting.

Haha! In the same way we haven’t needed to bug-out into the wilds with a pack full of survival tools in 2020 to survive, but stay indoors with Netflix!

[Donut]

When I think about this, the humorous part to me is: We watch TV and movies about people turning into zombies and it's exciting. In real life and people turn into zombies when they're staring at their phones, it is much less interesting.

Haha! In the same way we haven’t needed to bug-out into the wilds with a pack full of survival tools in 2020 to survive, but stay indoors with Netflix!

My super power is invisibility. When everyone won't look away from their phones, I don't think anyone can see me. :p

[JD Spydo]

When I think about this, the humorous part to me is: We watch TV and movies about people turning into zombies and it's exciting. In real life and people turn into zombies when they're staring at their phones, it is much less interesting.

Donut everything you just said is 100% the truth. A guy I listen to a lot named Jeff Rense had a picture of people looking at their smart phones while walking straight off a cliff totally unaware of the horrible dangers :eek: The sad thing about that is that it's not really a parody>>no it's the GOD's honest truth.
And listen folks I'm not at all against progress or any technology that can make our lives better. But when you see so many seemingly decent people become literal slaves to these high tech devices it's just down right sickening.
Right now I'm wondering if it all isn't by design. What is really weird about this year 2020 is that at the beginning of the year there was a lot of heated debate about the 5G technology. And a lot of people were making a case against it>> but when COVID 19 came along that just killed all conversation about 5G even though there were a lot of valid arguments against it >> gee I wonder if that wasn't by design as well :confused:

[James Y]

You guys should check out my thread, “Funny or Weird Things Caught on Camera.” There are a few clips posted on page 1 of the thread of people so engrossed in their cell phones they walk straight into fountains and fall in.

Jim

[Naperville]

My super power is invisibility. When everyone won't look away from their phones, I don't think anyone can see me. :p

Yes but....each phone has at least 2 cameras, so nothing escapes the NSA's sight.

[BLUETYPEII]

You’re exactly right, all these people on smartphones are on drugs. The drug is called dopamine, it’s produced by your brain. To put it simply it’s a reward system for your brain. Every time something good happens for example: you eat something that taste good... your brain gives you a little tiny dose of dopamine. The problem with smartphones... every time someone gets a notification, like, email etc. the smartphone user gets a dose of dopamine. This is why everyone is glued to their smartphone. After a little while they can’t help themselves they’re addicted bio chemically. (I fear this is happening to me) This is scientifically proven, look online you can find it easily.

After I finish writing this post I’m setting this stupid iPhone down and spending some time in the real world. :D

[James Y]

You’re exactly right, all these people on smartphones are on drugs. The drug is called dopamine, it’s produced by your brain. To put it simply it’s a reward system for your brain. Every time something good happens for example: you eat something that taste good... your brain gives you a little tiny dose of dopamine. The problem with smartphones... every time someone gets a notification, like, email etc. the smartphone user gets a dose of dopamine. This is why everyone is glued to their smartphone. After a little while they can’t help themselves they’re addicted bio chemically. (I fear this is happening to me) This is scientifically proven, look online you can find it easily.

After I finish writing this post I’m setting this stupid iPhone down and spending some time in the real world. :D

Is that what’s happening every time we buy a new Spydie?

:D

Jim

[soc_monki]

If they are so addicted they walk off a cliff it's natural selection. I love my phone, I just built a new computer and am upgrading another, but I also don't have my nose stuck in technology 24/7. Well, I do, but it's part of my job! Haha! My kid wants to go on walks constantly, we did 7.25 miles the other day. So there is a balance.

As for 5G, it's not going to make things any better or worse. People will just get their Facebook fix a few milliseconds faster. I've given up on Facebook so it doesn't apply to me. Besides, I have 1 Gig internet, it will really help out getting all the drivers and updates on my new hardware!

[James Y]

In another thread some time ago, I mentioned an incident that happened locally, where a young man was seen crossing under a train barrier, that was making the dinging sound, while engrossed in his smartphone. Other people waiting at the barrier were yelling at him, but he was so hypnotized he kept ambling towards the tracks, where a train was coming, and was blaring its horn at him. Well, you know the outcome; the train couldn’t stop in time, and it hit him as he ambled onto the tracks, still engrossed in his phone.

There was no evidence that the guy was suicidal. He was simply so obsessed with whatever was on his phone that he literally walked to his death. Yet he had been aware enough to duck under the barrier as he was walking.

IMO, you have to be an absolute moron to be accidentally hit and killed by a train, *especially while on foot*. It’s not as if a train can sneak up on you, or just swerve off the tracks and hit you. It’s on a clear and fixed path, and is easy to see and hear as it’s approaching.

Other people have died in my area trying to take selfies at a seaside cliff area. They tried to get too close to the edge to get a “better” picture and fell off, in spite of the big signs warning people to stay behind the safety barriers, because the cliffs have a danger of crumbling. These were all tourists, mostly from other states.

There aren’t many stupider epitaphs you can have on your grave than “Died trying to take a selfie.” Or “Died by train while texting (or playing online video game)”.

Jim

[JD Spydo]

You’re exactly right, all these people on smartphones are on drugs. The drug is called dopamine, it’s produced by your brain. To put it simply it’s a reward system for your brain. Every time something good happens for example: you eat something that taste good... your brain gives you a little tiny dose of dopamine. The problem with smartphones... every time someone gets a notification, like, email etc. the smartphone user gets a dose of dopamine. This is why everyone is glued to their smartphone. After a little while they can’t help themselves they’re addicted bio chemically. (I fear this is happening to me) This is scientifically proven, look online you can find it easily.

After I finish writing this post I’m setting this stupid iPhone down and spending some time in the real world. :D

Thank you BLUETYPEII :) Because I've suspected something like that for quite some time now. It sounds like you've done your homework on the subject. I've heard of so many testimonies of people even losing great jobs because of violating cell phone rules at their place of work >> and I've also heard of relationships busting up because one person can't even quit using their phone long enough to answer some questions or just perform a mundane task at hand.

Now again I do like some high tech devices that have made my life a little easier. And I spend time everyday on the internet ( including my time here at Spyderville) and I find the internet to have a lot of information that would take me weeks to find at a local library. But I never want to be ruled by it. And there are days to where I'll take a day or two without turning the computer on. Because I do think you can be mind controlled if not careful.

[BLUETYPEII]

You’re exactly right, all these people on smartphones are on drugs. The drug is called dopamine, it’s produced by your brain. To put it simply it’s a reward system for your brain. Every time something good happens for example: you eat something that taste good... your brain gives you a little tiny dose of dopamine. The problem with smartphones... every time someone gets a notification, like, email etc. the smartphone user gets a dose of dopamine. This is why everyone is glued to their smartphone. After a little while they can’t help themselves they’re addicted bio chemically. (I fear this is happening to me) This is scientifically proven, look online you can find it easily.

After I finish writing this post I’m setting this stupid iPhone down and spending some time in the real world. :D

Thank you BLUETYPEII :) Because I've suspected something like that for quite some time now. It sounds like you've done your homework on the subject. I've heard of so many testimonies of people even losing great jobs because of violating cell phone rules at their place of work >> and I've also heard of relationships busting up because one person can't even quit using their phone long enough to answer some questions or just perform a mundane task at hand.

Now again I do like some high tech devices that have made my life a little easier. And I spend time everyday on the internet ( including my time here at Spyderville) and I find the internet to have a lot of information that would take me weeks to find at a local library. But I never want to be ruled by it. And there are days to where I'll take a day or two without turning the computer on. Because I do think you can be mind controlled if not careful.

Yeah addiction can take many forms not just drugs or alcohol.

[Doc Dan]

I have had a lot of conversations with my students about this. They think I have had an amazing life with all of my adventures. I have tried to tell them that my life was above normal, but still normal for our day. We did not have cell phones or computers to addict us and keep us from living life. They find that hard to comprehend.

[JD Spydo]

I have had a lot of conversations with my students about this. They think I have had an amazing life with all of my adventures. I have tried to tell them that my life was above normal, but still normal for our day. We did not have cell phones or computers to addict us and keep us from living life. They find that hard to comprehend.

That's interesting Doc. It' makes me wonder how many of these Generation X and Millenials could live in an Amish Community for a month or so without Facebook and all their cell phone toys to go with it :rolleyes: . I bet the Withdrawals of no cell phone or electronic toys would probably be similar to the Heroin or Crack Withdrawals that many of the street creatures have to experience :eek:

There was one day about 2 years ago I stopped to help a woman who had car problems. The battery on her phone went dead while we were talking and I thought the poor lady was about to have a mental meltdown right in front of me. And we're only talking about being without the phone for 20 to 30 minutes at that

And I'm not kidding about the "Mind Control" aspects of all this high technology And if you all think they are not using "Mind Control" through these electronic phones, toys and other devices then you are deceiving yourselves badly. It's not a joke folks