Sad photos of the 'New Normal'

[+ouija ouija]

Although these photos are everyday-bland, I find the story they tell to be shocking and sad. For so much of the time now, people are just not present in their surroundings. Even when it is a social gathering they are being 'sociable' with their screens, not the people next to them. I think it is very, very sad and worrying. We are going to lose the art of communication altogether.

https://getpocket.com/explore/item/photographer-removes-our-smartphones-to-show-our-strange-and-lonely-new-world?utm_source=pocket-newtab-global-en-GB

[Grim Reaper 6]

15 minutes ago, ouija ouija said:

Although these photos are everyday-bland, I find the story they tell to be shocking and sad. For so much of the time now, people are just not present in their surroundings. Even when it is a social gathering they are being 'sociable' with their screens, not the people next to them. I think it is very, very sad and worrying. We are going to lose the art of communication altogether.

https://getpocket.com/explore/item/photographer-removes-our-smartphones-to-show-our-strange-and-lonely-new-world?utm_source=pocket-newtab-global-en-GB

Sadly you are correct, and as the age of technology moves forward the worst this will become!!

[jethrofloyd]

A new reality...

 

[Eldorado]

They are communicating but in a different way, that's all.

How much would us oldies miss logging-on to UM if it wasn't here?  How many of us cynics would miss being able to pay bills and shop etc from one's couch?

None of us would know one another if not for modern tech, and I reckon I'm richer for knowing you all.

[Silver]

10 minutes ago, Eldorado said:

They are communicating but in a different way, that's all.

How much would us oldies miss logging-on to UM if it wasn't here?  How many of us cynics would miss being able to pay bills and shop etc from one's couch?

None of us would know one another if not for modern tech, and I reckon I'm richer for knowing you all.

I'm glad you said this. Because it is true.

[Matt221]

i lost my mobile phone ages ago and never bothered replacing it seems im not missing much

[quiXilver]

Remember when no one had phones and we were all authentically connecting with one another and society was blissful?

Yea, me neither...

[spartan max2]

2 hours ago, Eldorado said:

They are communicating but in a different way, that's all.

How much would us oldies miss logging-on to UM if it wasn't here?  How many of us cynics would miss being able to pay bills and shop etc from one's couch?

None of us would know one another if not for modern tech, and I reckon I'm richer for knowing you all.

No. You're much poorer for knowing me 

[spartan max2]

I feel like these pictures are mostly just bias against tech. 

Like with most of those pictures if we replaced the tech with books, than people would feel it's fine, even though it's still something taking their attention. 

[+DieChecker]

19 minutes ago, spartan max2 said:

I feel like these pictures are mostly just bias against tech. 

Like with most of those pictures if we replaced the tech with books, than people would feel it's fine, even though it's still something taking their attention. 

I was just going to say if you replaced the phone with a book people would be hailing these people as so healthy.

I would agree people spend too much time on their phones though. No one reads books as much as most people use their phone.

And the phone often requires no thought. Tic toc just flashes images at you. Instagram shows pictures that are more often then not, not representative of the reality. YouTube will just follow one video after another, never ending...

[+ouija ouija]

17 minutes ago, spartan max2 said:

I feel like these pictures are mostly just bias against tech. 

Like with most of those pictures if we replaced the tech with books, than people would feel it's fine, even though it's still something taking their attention. 

Not really. Before everyone had a phone grafted onto their hand, they weren't constantly carrying books around with them! There's only a couple of those photos in which you could honestly replace the phone with a book.

Another problem is that people now feel that attending to their phone is a top priority which cannot be ignored. I especially notice this with people who come to do work for me. They spend time on their phones that I am paying for . . . . anything up to a quarter of the time they are here.

Actually, I don't think spending a lot of time reading books is healthy(depends a bit on the book, of course).

[+ouija ouija]

2 hours ago, Eldorado said:

They are communicating but in a different way, that's all.

How much would us oldies miss logging-on to UM if it wasn't here?  How many of us cynics would miss being able to pay bills and shop etc from one's couch?

None of us would know one another if not for modern tech, and I reckon I'm richer for knowing you all.

What you've said is true of course, but that's not what the photos are about. The point is, on occasions pre-mobile phone when we were in the presence of others we were more likely to speak with them, discuss things, learn things, cheer them up, help them find solutions to problems . . . . all the little things that bind society together, from family level outwards.

The internet is incredibly useful/helpful to oldies, BUT . . . it can also make them more isolated, especially if they live on their own. Why go out to the shops/bank etc. if you can do it all online?

1 hour ago, Matt221 said:

i lost my mobile phone ages ago and never bothered replacing it seems im not missing much

I had never had a mobile phone up until last Christmas when my son gave me one. He gave it to me purely to summon help if I fell when I was out on my own and that is all I use it for.

1 hour ago, quiXilver said:

Remember when no one had phones and we were all authentically connecting with one another and society was blissful?

Yea, me neither...

No one is claiming that society was blissful and we were all having deep and meaningful conversations with everyone we met, but at least we were a lot more aware of our surroundings. People weren't trying to cross roads or drive cars with a newspaper in front of their face! I think that so many are missing out on learning about the world around them, the world they have to live in.

[glorybebe]

My job is cell phones.  I was resistant to getting one, now I sell them.  It has become my camera first and foremost when not at work.  I am on call since I am a manager and there are times I do just want to put it on silent and not have to worry about it.  But, I am one of the few nit on FB.  I visit Instagram rarely.  I do have Kobo on it for reading.  I can now carry hundreds of books with me to take my mind off the real world.  And yes, I visit UM multiple times a day to see what my friends are discussing.   They can be a detriment,  but, they can also enhance lives.  It depends hiw they are used.  

[+ouija ouija]

24 minutes ago, glorybebe said:

My job is cell phones.  I was resistant to getting one, now I sell them.  It has become my camera first and foremost when not at work.  I am on call since I am a manager and there are times I do just want to put it on silent and not have to worry about it.  But, I am one of the few nit on FB.  I visit Instagram rarely.  I do have Kobo on it for reading.  I can now carry hundreds of books with me to take my mind off the real world.  And yes, I visit UM multiple times a day to see what my friends are discussing.   They can be a detriment,  but, they can also enhance lives.  It depends hiw they are used.  

That's another problem, mobile phones help employers to bother employees whenever and wherever they like.

[glorybebe]

14 minutes ago, ouija ouija said:

That's another problem, mobile phones help employers to bother employees whenever and wherever they like.

No,no.  For me, it is my employees bothering me on my off time.  Critical thinking and being independent is not a strong suit with the younger generation.

Edited May 1, 2021 by glorybebe

[XenoFish]

2 hours ago, spartan max2 said:

No. You're much poorer for knowing me 

It's just a discount, nothing to worry about.

[TashaMarie]

Where would many of us have been during this pandemic if it were not for phones, tablets or computers?  I have spent a good few hours with my eyes glued to my phone screen while talking with my family as that was the only way I was able to see them.  

[Bed of chaos]

On 5/1/2021 at 9:31 AM, spartan max2 said:

I feel like these pictures are mostly just bias against tech. 

Like with most of those pictures if we replaced the tech with books, than people would feel it's fine, even though it's still something taking their attention. 

Somewhat true. Though I'd rather stare into a book 3-4 hours than a computer screen. Anyway ,I've known many way too obsessive with cell phones. The look I got telling others 'sorry, no I dont have a Facebook account'. It's like I stabbed someone in the back.

[theotherguy]

Moderation in all things, and use resources well. I have no shame in walking around with an encyclopedia, textbooks in all areas of study, maps, and recreation in my pocket, along with the opportunity to discuss almost anything with anybody. I don't have any social media accounts. And even so, I could stand to put that encyclopedia back in my pocket once in a while, when I fail to moderate the recreational part.

[Horta]

On 5/1/2021 at 8:24 PM, ouija ouija said:

Although these photos are everyday-bland, I find the story they tell to be shocking and sad. For so much of the time now, people are just not present in their surroundings. Even when it is a social gathering they are being 'sociable' with their screens, not the people next to them. I think it is very, very sad and worrying. We are going to lose the art of communication altogether.

https://getpocket.com/explore/item/photographer-removes-our-smartphones-to-show-our-strange-and-lonely-new-world?utm_source=pocket-newtab-global-en-GB

That exhibition is funny and sad at the same time. Especially for older people, for whom this is only a recent thing.

Whether you believe it's good or bad, it is quite possibly going to have profound social and psychological implications. Apart from the possibilities for all sorts of unscrupulous methods to modify beliefs and behaviours that are obvious (and have been there in various forms before such tech).

There is an idea that the modern human mentality itself owes its origin to our ability to communicate (language) and our highly social nature. At the very least, these things seem highly relevant. If so, changing the way these things work at a fundamental level is likely to also have corresponding cultural and psychological shifts. It probably already is.

Throw in a few ecological disasters that are almost certain to happen and place all sorts of pressures on societies, the possible rise of self aware AI itself, and the future for humanity could be a very strange one. An already weird and complicated species could be about to get a lot more weird and complicated lol. Whether for better or worse, who knows.

On 5/1/2021 at 11:31 PM, spartan max2 said:

I feel like these pictures are mostly just bias against tech. 

Groups of young people staring into a screen instead of communicating, couples at dinner oblivious to each other and people crossing roads oblivious to surroundings and traffic, all because of one little machine is a strange (and recent) thing. It appears these machines cause a form of hypnosis lol.

Edited May 4, 2021 by Horta

[Horta]

 

Quote

No one is claiming that society was blissful and we were all having deep and meaningful conversations with everyone we met, but at least we were a lot more aware of our surroundings. People weren't trying to cross roads or drive cars with a newspaper in front of their face! I think that so many are missing out on learning about the world around them, the world they have to live in.

I agree re lacking curiosity about the world. Could be wrong of course but thats how it seems. For people who have lived most of their lives without such technology and haven't been hooked, it is utterly weird.

It's strange to call in somewhere for a coffee and see groups of teenagers sitting around staring at a small device, not saying a word to each other. How times change. They might as well be on their own.

Going out to dinner is even weirder. Couples staring not into each others eyes romantically over a lovely meal, but intently into a device. No "sweet nothings" being exchanged...too mesmerised in their device to do that lol.

Last time I had dinner at a quality restaurant I remember looking around and laughing at all the heads down staring at their best friend. Seemed as ridiculous as it was unsettling.

Or hordes of people marching through city streets, crossing roads, either talking into their device, or with head down staring into it. Or driving the same way. 

Waiting rooms, public transport, even on the job. It seems literally everywhere. It's like society has been hypnotised en masse.

People reel at the idea humans will merge with technology, but in reality they already have. It's just a matter of finding an acceptable way of incorporating their best friend and constant companion into their person, then they'll jump at it.

 

 

[Will Due]

 

I've often wondered about this. Do they have something akin to a cell phone in heaven too? If they do, it kinda makes sense LOL.

 

John the Revelator recorded: “And I saw as it were a sea of glass; and those who had gained the victory over the beast that was originally in them, standing on the sea of glass, having the harps of God” 

 

 

Edited May 4, 2021 by Will Do