No smartphone?

[+ sniper]

I arrived early at a new dentist's office this afternoon, prepared to fill out the usual pile of medical information they all require. Instead of a clipboard with paper forms, the receptionist handed me a tablet. The keyboard was unfamiliar to me--it was not the same as the one on my 5 year old iPad, the only one I have ever used--and I kept trying all sorts of maneuvers to learn how it functioned. It took me twice as long to complete as it would have if they had just given me papers.

But papers would have required them to transcribe it and be able to read your handwriting, which takes time and adds additional possibility of errors. It's not about how long it takes you to put things in the first time.

[TruthBTold]

I somewhat admire people who have stayed with a flip phone. I like the compact size of them but have a smartphone for the convenience of what it offers. I used to upgrade regularly but I'll wait to shell out nearly $1,000 for the latest iPhone until I absolutely have to. Yes, I like iPhones but their pricing has become insulting. Does Apple not realize they are a public company whose profitability and cash hoard is easily seen? Not to mention of course the amount of US taxes Apple evaded for many years. Maybe the latest Blackberry next time - nice look to them. I have cut the leash with my smartphone though and if I'm at dinner with someone who keeps looking at theirs, the dinner will end early (I ask them first though to please put their phone away). A not for profit I'm involved in has some ancient people in it. One asked me to call her if I'm going to send an email she needs to see because she rarely looks at her account - nope - not going to do that. I have to keep reminding some people that they shouldn't expect a response to an email they send anyone in less than 24 hours. If something is important - call the person! A friend of mine complained because there was a water leak in the basement of her condo building and she was annoyed the property management company hadn't responded to her email of one hour ago! Really? . . .

 

I too find it extremely obnoxious when friends don't answer emails within 2 days. If you have an email address you are expected to check it. Otherwise don't have it.

[hornymm]

I have an lg and it has data,but I haven't been able to figure out how to get on the internet on my phone,but I like being able to text and take pictures,I like having a simple life,I'm not very materialistic or all that interested in technology,I have a laptop that crashed I just use my tablet now I like reading about things on the internet and I enjoy these forums and have learned a lot from you guys.By the time I got to high school I had no interest in math and science,but I was still getting A s in English and Spanish and sociology was an easy a for me,but its my exoerience and opinion that people in general were happier after color TV and VCRs but before cell phones ,pagers,computers and the internet,I mean you used to just go out and find fun things to do,now nobody does anything without pre planning it online,you could actually knock on a friends door just to say hi or do you want to go somewhere,does anyone in their 50s or older agree with me people were generally happier before the internet and technology took over our lives,a lot of the younger people in my area seem absolutely miserable to me and I read smartphones and the internet have caused higher depression rates in teenagers,also people were happier when the news was just on at 6 and 11,and you could go walking and enjoy your surroundings and talk on the phone when you got back home

Edited June 1, 2018 by hornymm

[+ tassojunior]

Let me tell you.......

This month's earth-shaking, life-altering new smartphone app I got....

 

I've been broken into this year and I often leave sliding glass doors open etc. A neighbor's Nest cam captured the thief who got me and another neighbor. I bought 4 Yi brand cams off Amazon for $20 each . The first took me 15 minutes to install through my smartphone (only way). The others took 10 minutes each tops.

 

Now I get alerts when there's movement of any of my doors with video clips. I can turn to any room and see if I left the sliding door open. I can watch all activity on that cam back 4 days in HD. I have video records of who rang my doorbell and can speak with them live. I can tune in any room from anywhere in the world I am and see real-time what is going on and even talk to a pet or visitor. For under $100 in cams.

 

There are a dozen other apps I would hate to live without. This was just this month's new one.

 

Call me "hooked", it's a compliment.

[samhexum]

This month's earth-shaking, life-altering new smartphone app I got....

 

Just get a Doberman and keep him hungry.

[Mo Mason]

I know I'm probably missing out on some pretty cool stuff, but I just don't have much interest in technology. I don't have an iphone, ipad, smartphone... whatever any of those things are. I have an old desktop computer and the cheapest phone I could find, which I only got so I'd have something in case of an emergency. It does calls and text and that's it, and half the time I've forgotten it at home or the battery is dead.

 

I've never been a techie person which is ironic because for a living I do technical maintenance on electronic devices.

[gallahadesquire]

When I was still working and seeing patients preoperatively, there was one surgeon who wanted to know what my findings were, particularly if there was an issue.

 

I would write out an email with the details, and them send a text to his pager (hey, this was pre-2010!) saying, "You've got mail." He knew to read it before he went home and to respond within 24 hours.

 

It worked really well. I'm enjoying retirement.

[LaffingBear]

I have an lg and it has data,but I haven't been able to figure out how to get on the internet on my phone,but I like being able to text and take pictures,I like having a simple life,I'm not very materialistic or all that interested in technology,I have a laptop that crashed I just use my tablet now I like reading about things on the internet and I enjoy these forums and have learned a lot from you guys.By the time I got to high school I had no interest in math and science,but I was still getting A s in English and Spanish and sociology was an easy a for me,but its my exoerience and opinion that people in general were happier after color TV and VCRs but before cell phones ,pagers,computers and the internet,I mean you used to just go out and find fun things to do,now nobody does anything without pre planning it online,you could actually knock on a friends door just to say hi or do you want to go somewhere,does anyone in their 50s or older agree with me people were generally happier before the internet and technology took over our lives,a lot of the younger people in my area seem absolutely miserable to me and I read smartphones and the internet have caused higher depression rates in teenagers,also people were happier when the news was just on at 6 and 11,and you could go walking and enjoy your surroundings and talk on the phone when you got back home

I have a webcam at my front door. Live streams on my phone and tablet. Records to a card. The idea was... when the doorbell rings, see who's there.

 

Except... I dont -and wont - go through life clutching my phone. Even if the bell rings while I'm using a device, I have to stop, open the app, start the stream, etc. Maybe just a few seconds, but its easier to just go answer the door.

 

I have not enabled the web-recording.... only the sd card looping.... so Id have a record of something very recent, but little else.

 

All in all, it was sort of a waste.

 

An integrated doorbell ring function would be an enhancement... might even appear on my tv if I use cable provider's. But Id still need to be tethered to a device. Also, I notice more people knock than ring. I get a lot of packages.... hear a knock, and delivery man is gone by the time I answer, package laying there. Maybe they dont want to waste time with human interactions, so knock to avoid activating doorbell-cams.

[+ Gar1eth]

My iPhone 6 Plus got fried a week and a half ago -semi long story that I'll spare y'all. A relative has loaned/given me an old one. But it only has 16 gb of memory. My pictures on my old phone take up 17 gb, so I have the loaner set up as new phone. Now I'll admit, I could do with editing a lot of things on my phone. But even if I do that, I doubt I could get down to the memory limit imposed by this current phone. I want to get a new (for me) phone badly. But I'd prefer to get something newer than a 6 plus as it will be out of date sooner than the others. But I don't really have money. I may have to muddle through on my cousin's phone for the foreseeable future. I recognize it's a First World Problem. But it's still a problem.

 

Gman

[+ Charlie]

I arrived early at a new dentist's office this afternoon, prepared to fill out the usual pile of medical information they all require. Instead of a clipboard with paper forms, the receptionist handed me a tablet. The keyboard was unfamiliar to me--it was not the same as the one on my 5 year old iPad, the only one I have ever used--and I kept trying all sorts of maneuvers to learn how it functioned. It took me twice as long to complete as it would have if they had just given me papers.

 

But papers would have required them to transcribe it and be able to read your handwriting, which takes time and adds additional possibility of errors. It's not about how long it takes you to put things in the first time.

To me it seems more like an extension of the current trend of employers trying to save money by making the customer do more of the work himself. When my employer first announced that all employees would be working remotely from their homes, it was explained that it would be more efficient for everyone; what wasn't mentioned was that the employer would no longer have to supply a workspace or equip it: instead, the employees would provide the computers, printers and paper, desks and chairs, cable hook-up and electricity, but wouldn't be financially compensated for it all. Making the patient input all the information himself on a tablet in the waiting room means the doctor doesn't have to hire clerical help. BTW, having the patient enter the information directly into the records himself certainly doesn't reduce the likelihood of errors, and without trained clerical helpers, the errors are less likely to be detected immediately.

[+ bashful]

I too find it extremely obnoxious when friends don't answer emails within 2 days. If you have an email address you are expected to check it. Otherwise don't have it.

 

For various reasons, I've ended up with six different email addresses. They sort of evolved over the years based on purpose, what was going on in my life at the time, and whether lap/desk tops, iPad, and a couple associated with my phones (one's the burner). Two accounts I check daily, three every three or four days, and one maybe every couple of weeks. I'm notorious for not always checking (email and otherwise), and my friends know it. I once got an email (probably didn't see it for a while), that a company was going to turn over an small annuity account to the state because it hadn't had any activity in over a year. Maybe your friends, like me, are more and more tired with all the junk emails these days, and rather not check it.

[Frequentflier]

Let me tell you.......

This month's earth-shaking, life-altering new smartphone app I got....

 

I've been broken into this year and I often leave sliding glass doors open etc. A neighbor's Nest cam captured the thief who got me and another neighbor. I bought 4 Yi brand cams off Amazon for $20 each . The first took me 15 minutes to install through my smartphone (only way). The others took 10 minutes each tops.

 

Now I get alerts when there's movement of any of my doors with video clips. I can turn to any room and see if I left the sliding door open. I can watch all activity on that cam back 4 days in HD. I have video records of who rang my doorbell and can speak with them live. I can tune in any room from anywhere in the world I am and see real-time what is going on and even talk to a pet or visitor. For under $100 in cams.

 

There are a dozen other apps I would hate to live without. This was just this month's new one.

 

Call me "hooked", it's a compliment.

 

I think that was a good move. We have a monitored alarm system (includes smoke/fire) as well as cameras covering the interior and outside. Big piece of mind. The cameras aren't integrated with the alarm that's monitored - which (I think) would be creepy as a part of my mind would assume someone was watching. I like being alerted if there is activity or being able to check whenever I want. Canary is one set of cameras and they've upgraded the software to identify a person versus (for example) a pet. Security systems, cameras, etc. have become very cost effective. The cost is minor compared to the deductible on our policies, the inconvenience of theft and/or relying on a neighbor to call in a fire. As as you said, set up is easy. I think everyone should have a system - and no, you don't need to constantly upgrade the equipment.

[+ tassojunior]

An integrated doorbell ring function would be an enhancement... might even appear on my tv if I use cable provider's. But Id still need to be tethered to a device. Also, I notice more people knock than ring. I get a lot of packages.... hear a knock, and delivery man is gone by the time I answer, package laying there. Maybe they dont want to waste time with human interactions, so knock to avoid activating doorbell-cams.

 

omg---I have FedEx, UPS and Amazon set to deliver text messages when a package is arriving and when it is delivered. Immediately. I hear a "bing" on the phone, look at it, and it says my package was just delivered to my front door. Amazon even sends a photo of where it sits. People live without that?

[mike carey]

I too find it extremely obnoxious when friends don't answer emails within 2 days. If you have an email address you are expected to check it. Otherwise don't have it.

I can't agree. There was a time when the phone was an immediate way of contacting a person when they were at home, but you didn't get to pass a message unless the phone was answered—but you knew that your message hadn't been delivered. As the ability to leave a message has improved, from secretaries to answering machines then voicemail, I've increasingly regarded the technology as being there for my benefit not the caller's. It's rude if I don't acknowledge a message, and reply to it, but I get to set the terms of that not the caller/sender. The flip side of my approach to this issue is that I accept that others don't have the same rules that I have, so if one method fails I will search for others if I want to contact them urgently and just wait, without judgment, if the matter is not pressing.

 

I guess my point is that each of us may have particular views of how and when we should respond (if at all) to missed calls, voicemails, texts, e-mails and snail mail, but we can't assume that others share our views. Silence may indicate rudeness but we should not assume that it does.

[TruthBTold]

I can't agree. There was a time when the phone was an immediate way of contacting a person when they were at home, but you didn't get to pass a message unless the phone was answered—but you knew that your message hadn't been delivered. As the ability to leave a message has improved, from secretaries to answering machines then voicemail, I've increasingly regarded the technology as being there for my benefit not the caller's. It's rude if I don't acknowledge a message, and reply to it, but I get to set the terms of that not the caller/sender. The flip side of my approach to this issue is that I accept that others don't have the same rules that I have, so if one method fails I will search for others if I want to contact them urgently and just wait, without judgment, if the matter is not pressing.

I guess my point is that each of us may have particular views of how and when we should respond (if at all) to missed calls, voicemails, texts, e-mails and snail mail, but we can't assume that others share our views. Silence may indicate rudeness but we should not assume that it does.

 

On the other hand, society imposes all sorts of strictures that it imposes on civil behavior and that members agree to partake in. For instance, most people agree to silence their phones during a theater performance. I believe that people who give out their email address to others in order to be contacted also agree to return any missives within a reasonable amount of time. If they don't want to agree with that, don't give our your email address. I do not know how people feel about texts as I do not currently own a cell phone but I would imagine it is fairly similar.

[mike carey]

I believe that people who give out their email address to others in order to be contacted also agree to return any missives within a reasonable amount of time.

Perhaps so, but the question is, who decides what is a reasonable amount of time. Do we expect people to check e-mail every hour, every day or at 9am every Monday? I don't presume to guess when they will. Do we have a right always to expect a reply, or should we have to write an e-mail in such a way that elicits a reply. I know I have received e-mails that my response is to note but not to reply. How to reply to communications is a minefield no matter what the format of the communication.

[TruthBTold]

Perhaps so, but the question is, who decides what is a reasonable amount of time. Do we expect people to check e-mail every hour, every day or at 9am every Monday? I don't presume to guess when they will. Do we have a right always to expect a reply, or should we have to write an e-mail in such a way that elicits a reply. I know I have received e-mails that my response is to note but not to reply. How to reply to communications is a minefield no matter what the format of the communication.

 

Well, I (personally) do not think that 2 to 3 days is unreasonable. It does not need to be a long and meaningful response. It can be merely an acknowledgment that you received it and although you will not answer in detail at that time you will answer. Or it can more preferably be an answer that does not spell out all the details and something that says you will explain more fully later. It is like the term "socially late." I think that most people have an idea of what that reasonably means; i.e., the parameters of the term.

[samhexum]

[samhexum]

most people agree to silence their phones during a theater performance

 

Edited June 28, 2019 by samhexum

[+ poolboy48220]

Hahahaha. I think it was a George S Kaufman quote, "There was laughter in the back of the theater, leading one to believe that someone back there was telling jokes"

[samhexum]

Sales of “dumb” phones are growing as people get sick of being constantly buzzed by social media.

 

That’s the name given to feature phones, retro-style handsets that lack the “smart” tech in modern-day smartphones.

 

Data shows that the average American spends nearly three hours per day on their smartphone. And this growing obsession with staying online may be linked to a major change in the way we buy gadgets.

 

According to Counterpoint Research, the global smartphone market grew by 2 percent last year – to 1.6 billion devices shipped.

 

But worryingly, it shrank by 5 percent in the last quarter of 2017.

 

Meanwhile, sales of feature phones rose to 450 million devices in 2017, which is a promising 5 percent jump.

 

Counterpoint’s Shobhit Srivastava said the issue is linked to the “upgrade rate of users,” suggesting people are less willing to fork out for pricey new blowers – when their current mobiles work just fine.

 

But people simply can’t seem to switch off with smartphones, either.

 

Dr. Daria Kuss, a chartered psychologist who studies the “compulsive use” of smartphones, has warned that users can develop a genuine addiction.

 

“They may be aware that they’re using it too much however they can’t stop themselves,”Kuss told Sky News.

 

“They may be afraid to miss out on anything that may be happening on their social media channels being one of the reasons why they use it compulsively and this may lead to symptoms that have been associated with addiction like withdrawal, preoccupation and loss of control.”

 

Sky News spoke to one Brit who had bought a “dumb” feature phone to use and who said her pestering smartphone was to blame.

 

“I just hated the fact that I was always on it,” said Mark Erskine. “My friend said the other day, ‘you check it 150 times a day’. You’re always on Facebook pages and Instagram and you’re just on everything.

 

“And the more you do it, the more you feel like you need to do it.”

 

She said she hadn’t gone “full cold turkey,” because she still had an iPad – but said the feature phone had given her more choice.

 

“If I want to go out with just the dumb phone then you can make a choice and have a day without all the noise of all the notifications and apps.”

 

Tech companies are becoming more aware of the fact that their customers are worried about their phone usage.

 

Earlier this year, Apple introduced a new feature called Screen Time that lets you track time spent on your handset.

Edited April 26, 2020 by samhexum

[rvwnsd]

Sales of “dumb” phones are growing as people get sick of being constantly buzzed by social media.

 

That’s the name given to feature phones, retro-style handsets that lack the “smart” tech in modern-day smartphones.

 

Data shows that the average American spends nearly three hours per day on their smartphone. And this growing obsession with staying online may be linked to a major change in the way we buy gadgets.

 

According to Counterpoint Research, the global smartphone market grew by 2 percent last year – to 1.6 billion devices shipped.

 

But worryingly, it shrank by 5 percent in the last quarter of 2017.

 

Meanwhile, sales of feature phones rose to 450 million devices in 2017, which is a promising 5 percent jump.

 

Counterpoint’s Shobhit Srivastava said the issue is linked to the “upgrade rate of users,” suggesting people are less willing to fork out for pricey new blowers – when their current mobiles work just fine.

 

But people simply can’t seem to switch off with smartphones, either.

 

Dr. Daria Kuss, a chartered psychologist who studies the “compulsive use” of smartphones, has warned that users can develop a genuine addiction.

 

“They may be aware that they’re using it too much however they can’t stop themselves,”Kuss told Sky News.

 

“They may be afraid to miss out on anything that may be happening on their social media channels being one of the reasons why they use it compulsively and this may lead to symptoms that have been associated with addiction like withdrawal, preoccupation and loss of control.”

 

Sky News spoke to one Brit who had bought a “dumb” feature phone to use and who said her pestering smartphone was to blame.

 

“I just hated the fact that I was always on it,” said Mark Erskine. “My friend said the other day, ‘you check it 150 times a day’. You’re always on Facebook pages and Instagram and you’re just on everything.

 

“And the more you do it, the more you feel like you need to do it.”

 

She said she hadn’t gone “full cold turkey,” because she still had an iPad – but said the feature phone had given her more choice.

 

“If I want to go out with just the dumb phone then you can make a choice and have a day without all the noise of all the notifications and apps.”

 

Tech companies are becoming more aware of the fact that their customers are worried about their phone usage.

 

Earlier this year, Apple introduced a new feature called Screen Time that lets you track time spent on your handset.

It is very easy to own a smart phone and prevent oneself from being bombarded by alerts. You simply turn off notifications. Far easier than buying a new phone.

[+ Tarte Gogo]

It is very easy to own a smart phone and prevent oneself from being bombarded by alerts. You simply turn off notifications. Far easier than buying a new phone.

Especially a useless one where you can’t even pull up a map of the city you are in.

[rvwnsd]

Especially a useless one where you can’t even pull up a map of the city you are in.

http://www.georgeglazer.com/archives/maps/archive-nyc/images/nostrand-det3a.jpg

[samhexum]

Gen Z interns can’t even use landlines

 

 

Gen Z is ready to work — if only they can figure out how to pick up the phone.

 

“My company has a landline, and I haven’t used one in years,” Matthew Krull, a 20-year-old East Villager interning at a marketing agency, tells The Post. “I forgot how to use it, and I had to page into a conference call. All I had to do was push the flashing button, but I was thinking, ‘What link do I have to go to to key into the call?’ ”

 

Wince-inducing moments like Krull’s are popping up in offices across corporate America as summer internship season heats up. And while Gen Zers’ managers — from older millennials to boomers — find most interns bright, motivated and highly educated, they’re also taken aback by young hires’ ineptitude at basic office tasks, including sending snail mail, taking messages and deciphering cursive handwriting.

 

“We live in the age of information. These kids can very thoroughly stalk their Bumble and Tinder dates, but can’t Google how to address an envelope?” says Carla Carstens, a former fashion executive turned career consultant, who helps college kids land jobs through her Web site FreeFashionInternships.com. “Common sense will fly right out of the window when new hires are put in a high-pressure environment. It can be really frustrating.”

 

Although faux pas from young interns aren’t new, the 34-year-old Williamsburg resident says she’s seen some hiccups that are pretty unique to today’s youngsters — including scrolling through social media all day and treating their jobs like they’re Instagram photo ops.

 

Recently, Carstens, who previously headed public relations for a luxury accessories company, had a 19-year-old intern help her plan a work event. On show day, “she [was] nowhere to be found,” Carstens says. “I texted her and she says, ‘I had to go to the dry cleaners to pick up my outfit.’ ” When the intern eventually moseyed back into the office, “She had clearly gotten a blowout and put together a full look. She was cocktail-ready.” The intern wound up getting drunk at the event, and Carstens had to ask her to leave.

 

The screw-up scarred the fashion pro. Now, she says, “I tell [interns], ‘Today is not the day you’re getting your selfie.’ ”

 

Carstens is also put off by some Gen Zers’ overconfidence — the kind exemplified by one startup intern, who asked to remain anonymous for her career’s sake.

 

“I padded my résumé, and it’s been an issue,” says the 19-year-old. “I love to talk about financial modeling and Excel, but I don’t actually know how to do it.”

 

She also says she’s copped most of her office lingo from popular, business-themed TV shows.

 

“Sometimes I’ll hear something on ‘Billions’ and I’ll repeat it to my boss, like, ‘How about shorting this or that?’ ” she says. “Then he’ll have to tell me, ‘I don’t short things.’ ”

 

Carstens thinks gaffes like these are partially a result of the fake-it-till-you-make-it, take-what’s-yours “empowerment” messaging that the generation is bombarded with — for example, phrases like “girlboss,” popularized by Nasty Gal founder and e-commerce mogul Sophia Amoruso.

 

“Sophia Amoruso is exemplary, because she grinded and hustled to make things happen — but people are forgetting that portion of it,” says Carstens. (Amoruso’s e-commerce company also filed for bankrupcy in 2016.) In other words: You have to sweat a little before earning the corner office, and kids today don’t seem to realize that.

 

Take Krull: The marketing intern moonlights as an influencer with nearly 55,000 followers and believes his generation’s pics-or-it-didn’t-happen culture gives them an edge in the office.

 

“Every job I’ve done, I’m hired to start and run the social-media accounts. I create content, I consult and I give direction to the bosses on what to say,” says Krull.

 

He knows that, sometimes, it probably just looks like he’s sitting around on his phone — but insists he’s actually getting work done, not idly scrolling.

 

“It’s hard, because my body language is the exact same when I’m texting a friend versus looking through hashtags to use for our next post,” says Krull.

 

Grant, a Manhattan-based 19-year-old, feels similarly. His summer internship at a security company entails revamping the team’s digital presence — and, frankly, he’s a little unimpressed by their lack of tech savvy.

 

“I’m trying to help them clean up, like, their LinkedIn profiles and Facebook and stuff like that. They’re very inept, and just don’t know how to gain a following” says Grant, who declined to share his last name for fear of getting in trouble at work.

 

Adrien, 19, who works at a private equity group says although it’s not in his job description, he often finds himself helping his baby boomer managers with tech.

 

“I had to help someone with their Microsoft Office account,” Adrien says, declining to give his last name. “It was literally logging in.”

 

Clearly, the youngs feel a little technological disdain for the olds. And that’s not too bad, says Carstens — except when the disrespect goes a little further. For example, she’s seen some interns take a cue from online dating and just straight-up ghost employers.

 

Rather than “confronting issues” with an employer, she says, these digital natives “won’t show up on their first day — or, in my case, will just leave and never come back.”

 

The “Billions”-savvy startup intern says managers like Carstens shouldn’t take stuff like that personally.

 

“A lot of us really only care about efficiency and getting ahead,” says the undergrad.

 

For managers like Carstens, though, that detachment is intolerable. Although she was obviously annoyed by the intern who blew off work to get a blowout, she was also deeply disappointed — because the girl, like many of her peers, had shown a lot of promise.

 

“These kids are incredible. They are intelligent and savvy — [and] that’s where this feeling of entitlement stems from. They are aware of what they bring to the table,” says Carstens. “They don’t understand that you have to earn your stripes, and that doesn’t come overnight.”