Connectivity rolling over Connection?

  • 2 Replies
  • 3775 Views

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Camlost

  • *
  • The Ginger-Beard Wizard
  • Momurai
  • *****
  • Posts: 143
    • View Profile
« on: August 21, 2015, 02:39:12 am »
Not sure this fits here, but I reckoned science and technology some sort of symbiotic and indivisible enough relationship that I'd find forgiveness for it.

A little exposition as it brought about my observation/concern: I was out on a bar patio last night with a bunch of friends, maybe a dozen of us, for one last shin dig before the summer ends and school again takes over people's lives. We're all hanging out, having drinks, chatting, that kind of jazz, and at one point I notice that about nine of thirteen people have their phone out or in their hands. I couldn't help but be irritated by the fact that odds were we weren't likely to see each other again for months and these folks were absorbed in their phones.

So I did what any sensible passive aggressive person would and swallowed my frustration and did my best to get some more lively conversation going, thinking that perhaps that was all the technological distraction was about. It wasn't. It got to the point where I whispered to my buddy how ridiculous a situation this was and he remedied the situation by sending a mass text message to everyone saying something along the lines: "Anyone with a phone out must stack it face down in the center of the table. Anytime you want to check your phone you have to buy a drink for everyone stacked below yours"

I thought it was a little pathetic that that was what was required to get people off their phones whilst hanging out with their friends, but it seemed to work. Until one guy realized he could just buy a pitcher and take his phone out of the rotation and somehow managed to seem perturbed that I hadn't even taken mine out of my pocket since I had arrived.

I don't know if any of you have ever experienced anything similar or to what degree, but it kind of depressed me. At what point does--or has it long been past--constant availability and constant connectivity get in the way of simply being present? I mean, when did the fact that someone actually paying attention to the people they are with become in any way remarkable? Is this dynamic indicative of the current state of human interaction? Am I being unreasonable or should I start searching for some mountain cavern and take up residence?

Francis Buck

  • *
  • Guest
« Reply #1 on: August 22, 2015, 07:00:55 pm »
I think it comes from a lot of things. I mean, it's certainly at least in part due to the ease of access. I think for some people it can create a sensation of "accomplishing more". Why limit your social interaction to only those physically around you, when you can be social-multitasking?

That being said, I know that the simple act of just "doing stuff on a phone" has become an extremely common form of compulsive behavior. People (and I include myself in this) will take out their phone and start doing shit without even realizing it, and without actually having a specific reason for initially doing so. It's like someone checking their watch multiple times in a short period, even though they probably don't really need the time. The difference is that with a watch, there's not exactly a whole lot to engage in. You can't justifiably pretend to stare at your watch for more than like, five seconds at a time before it starts to seem weird. With a modern smart phone, that's not the case, and in fact it's pretty much designed to keep your attention. Especially once internet became common and easy to use on mobiles. So it's the same sort of compulsive behavior I think, except now instead of a watch (or whatever), we're just casually checking a device that literally has near instant-access to the majority of human knowledge -- aside from being most people's primary link to their social life on one level or another.

Beyond that, there's also the fact that checking your phone is sort of like temporarily partitioning yourself off from a social situation. So people will do it when they're uncomfortable, or if they don't know much about the current topic of discussion, or if they just don't care about it, so on and so forth. Thus, where in the past we would basically just have to wait those moments out (and thus be more encouraged and more likely to try and find some kind of entrance into the conversatrion), now we just...check our phone. Combine that with aforementioned attention-swallowing nature inherent to a smartphone, and it becomes both more common and more noticeable.

Will this change? I doubt it, at least in the sense that I don't think we're going to regress. I do think that when (and if, though it seems inevitable) smartphones become less conspicuous and even easier to access, like say through Augmented Reality for example, then it will cease to be the same type of social shield it is now. But that's a ways off and is obviously super speculative.
« Last Edit: August 22, 2015, 10:02:42 pm by Francis Buck »

Camlost

  • *
  • The Ginger-Beard Wizard
  • Momurai
  • *****
  • Posts: 143
    • View Profile
« Reply #2 on: August 23, 2015, 04:34:26 am »
Quote
I think for some people it can create a sensation of "accomplishing more"
I can get behind that for sure. If I were more adept at technology I feel like I could probably manage a lot more than I do. As it is, I do a lot of things analog (ie. reading paperbacks, pen and paper, when I am curious about something I query personal resources). My verdict is still out on whether one approach is better than the other, though I feel that there is a healthy combination of the two that is probably the most productive.

Quote
People (and I include myself in this) will take out their phone and start doing shit without even realizing it, and without actually having a specific reason for initially doing so.
That's almost along the lines of what I'm wondering. Has connectivity gotten to the point that it almost erases presence? I mean, like you were saying, this device we're considering is not only capable of accessing near all information present in the datasphere (I stole a term from Simmons there, and I will later too), but also a far greater majority of our own personal relationships. I'm right there with you though. I recently upgraded to a smart phone and I'm smitten with the possibilities of it.

Quote
So people will do it when they're uncomfortable, or if they don't know much about the current topic of discussion, or if they just don't care about it, so on and so forth. Thus, where in the past we would basically just have to wait those moments out (and thus be more encouraged and more likely to try and find some kind of entrance into the conversatrion), now we just...check our phone
This disconcerts me. I mean, in conversations where I'm unaware or out of my depth I do my best to pay attention and if nothing else alight upon a poignant question or ask pointed questions to catch myself up to an unstudied/novice' speed. I almost feel as if we've lost that art of exchanging information.

Quote
I do think that when (and if, though it seems inevitable) smartphones become less conspicuous and even easier to access
Like I mentioned, to steal another term from Simmons, this reminds me of comlogs. If you haven't read, they're like biological implants that access the "internet". Essentially, all of humanity's information is at everyone's disposal(all the obvious caveats that would inevitably accompany open information aside that is). I haven't decided yet  whether I believe that is an exciting step toward humanity's evolution or a stumble on our cognitive development. One man's opinion..