Originally Posted By: andrewg
Originally Posted By: DoubleWasp
They said the same thing about TV in the 50s.
They said the same thing about Nintendo in the 80/90s.
Then it was supposed to be computer games.
Electronic entertainment and the latest rebellious music has been slated to destroy the world since decades before I was born.
10 years from now, there will be a new horror story about the latest device that is threatening to kidnap humanity.
The world continues to turn, not caring.
Smartphones have completely changed the way we interact (or lack of), communicate (if you can call it that), and what we perceive as being "social". The use of these gizmos has been the cause of many deaths as well. They are not as innocuous as a TV set in the home or even a Nintendo game in the hand.
All one need do is go to a mall or movie theater and look at others. Rather obvious the huge impact (and not all in a good way) these things have on our society. I consider it's insidious effects more alarming than any other technological device in human history.
Oh, I completely agree. Thanks to the MyRadar app I have on my phone, I waste less time checking the weather and forecast, and more time on my Harleys, boats, trail bikes, kayaks, etc.
Thanks to my Facebook app, I do all of those me frequently with more people involved.
Thanks to the MyFitness app, when I bike, I spend far more time perfecting my breathing, cadence, set speed, routes, route speed, top speed, burn, and distance.
Thanks to the BoatYard app, I have had to open up a dockside services arm of my business that has increased my profits to nearly equal my in-yard services.
78% of my boat rental business comes through the Yelp app, BoatBound, and Google Maps app.
Thanks to the Waze app, I was going 20 mph under the limit, had my high beams on, and eyes glued to the road after a warning that a black couch was scattered across the road ahead of me, instead of colliding with it.
Thanks to the parking apps, I have saved myself from running down to refill the meter, and instead just poke at my smartphone a couple of times and continue to enjoy the party.
I won't even get back into detail on the Facebook app, because if I were to list the stories of how many events, outdoor activities, cultural gatherings, industry events, and all of the friends and connections I have made both professionally and personally within the things I am most passionate about, it would break the forum.
Much like the argument that guns make people into bad people, I would wager that those who act like zombies in front of a smartphone instead of using this powerful tool to it's full potential probably wouldn't have a whole heck of a lot going on whether the smartphone was present or not.
If you feel that smartphones detract from human existence, I would urge you to speak for yourself.