7 ms·

Asia's smartphone addiction

54 points by SimplyUseless 11y ago

hellofunk 11y ago
In Singapore, at the movies or even formal music concerts, like the symphony orchestra, the audience is full of people doing who knows what on their mobile phones throughout the entire event. It is so obnoxious. Best thing that's improved in my life since leaving Southeast Asia is being around people who aren't so intimately attached all the time with their silly phones. Even at a nice restaurant there, the table next to you is often a middle-aged couple watching a whole movie on their phone together -- speakers fully turned up.
peteretep 11y ago
Amazed in Bangkok at the degree to which I only ever see Samsung or Apple phones. Many more for sale in the shops, but I feel like Samsung and Apple absolutely dominate. Lots of very old phones, mind you.
- saint_fiasco 11y ago
  Maybe Samsung and Apple phones are the most durable brands.
anonnyj 11y ago
I know it happens elsewhere, but it's insane here in China: People using their phone while on the road. Whether it be crossing the street, driving their car, or trying to keep balance while holding the phone with both hands and driving their scooter with their elbows. I even see the police doing that.
- stargazer-3 11y ago
  One of my most memorable memories from Taiwan includes a police car stopping near us and two officers asking... if they can take a picture with us. But I would love to see some more in-depth analysis of Asian phone usage. This article gives a lot of numbers which, although interesting, are losing their meaning without a comparison to other parts of the world.
prodmerc 11y ago
This makes the lack of consumer HUDs/AR glasses even more perplexing. The technology is here, so why are companies toying around with smartwatches (a very limited concept, imo, might as well strap a small smartphone on your wrist :-)) instead of making these a reality for everyone: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Glass https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Glass http://www.lumus-optical.com/ http://www.lumus-optical.com/
- digi_owl 11y ago
  I'm speculating that video/AR glasses already had a problem because of how they distort facial shapes. And then Google Glass ran into the whole issue with the perception of permanent surveillance. Never mind that the position and such of the display on Google Glass was not the most useful for real AR applications. Frankly i think our real problem is not output, but input. Outside of going lotus with a laptop, inputing anything but the smallest of data amounts is a right pain on the go.
- jdhawk 11y ago
  Well, there is Navdy - which looks like a really interesting product. I hope it brings a plethora of like devices.
- JustSomeNobody 11y ago
  It's not perplexing. People don't want it. They thought Glass was ... nerdy and creepy.
  - brador 11y ago
    Because it was shitty low res with few viable use cases. Make it high res, full view AR, nice robust design and actually useful and it will blow up.
    - JustSomeNobody 11y ago
      It would only be a niche.
userbinator 11y ago
Although I like the saying "smart phones dumb people", I think this is just a subset of computer addiction; but in this case, the computer is so easily portable that people become even more preoccupied with it and become unaware of their physical environment.
- zxcdw 11y ago
  But isn't computer just the medium to access the real addiction-causing substance, whatever it may be? I mean, if you give person a computer of any kind without internet access, they'll likely feel just as anxious as not having the device in the first place. This, to me, would suggest that what actually causes the addiction is something these online services provide for people. Be it for example some form of self-expression in form of Facebook status updates. They'll be fine for as long as they get to make the update for example (and perhaps see it go live? As in to check their outside appearance like a person checks the mirror after fixing their clothing, despite knowing the clothing is fine. Just need that feedback for the sake of feedback itself, not for any particular practical reason necessarily). Why do I make the distinction? Because I've had to deal with something related to the subject matter myself. (Acknowledgement of some form/sort of addiction, which isn't computers themselves (though the addiction-causing behavior is mediated through a computer), or "being online", but something more general because the addiction takes its shape and form for as long as the online service provides the easy "dopamine rush" (in lack of a better term), perhaps to relieve some underlying anxiety?)
  - tdkl 11y ago
    > But isn't computer just the medium to access the real addiction-causing substance, whatever it may be? Sure, this ain't anything new. The internet, is a source of constant novelty addiction, which keeps the brain stimulated. Mobile phone is just another medium, that you can carry around all the time and extend that addiction and makes it possible anywhere.
    - andygates 11y ago
      And all that gossip and kitten-video-sharing, that's just ... human interaction. It's almost as if we're a social species which uses low-information chatter as grooming.
Kenji 11y ago
I don't even know what people do all day on their smartphones. I only use mine when I need to quickly check a fact, e.g. when my train departs or where a building that I've never been to is located. I dislike the touchscreen interface. Gaming on it is horrible, typing is horrible, navigation is passable if the buttons are big enough. Overall, the desktop is vastly superior in every way and when I'm on the road, I prefer looking at my surroundings and sorting out my thoughts because I couldn't do serious computer work anyway.
- allengeorge 11y ago
  My 5 biggest uses: 1. Manage my inbox/respond to emails 2. Maps 3. Product/restaurant reviews 4. Read books on the Kindle app 5. Scan HN :) Of course - everyone is different, so my list is not universal. I agree with you however, that using a phone for input is...less than ideal.
- Kiro 11y ago
  For me: Facebook and HN.
- something123 11y ago
  > I don't even know what people do all day on their smartphones This is a mindblowing thing to hear. You really don't know that people use cellphones to keep in touch with friends? Did you miss the last 10 years or something? I have friends all around the world who I don't get to see in person and I want to maintain those friendships through chat and social media bc they are very meaningful to me. I'm constantly on my phone. Sure a desktop is more convenient, but I'm not at my computer all day. The phone lets you have an ongoing conversation. Without them you'd only be able to talk with people when you're both sitting at a computer.... Or you'd have to send long messages and wait hours to hear back from them; which is less dynamic and engaging. At the same time it does allow you to have pauses in the conversation, so not only can you take the time to think and for instance write a thoughtful response, but you can also easily do other things in the mean time. You can buy groceries and chat and then stop for a minute when you're at the checkout counter. So it's vastly better than making a phone call
justin_d 11y ago
Worth pointing out that every year millions of people worldwide are killed or injured by drivers using cell phones while driving.
- JosephRedfern 11y ago
  Wow, I didn't realise the number was that high - that's shocking. Do you have a link to the source for that stat? (not suggesting it's incorrect, would just like to read more)
  - voidz 11y ago
    Sure, lemme just fi
- venomsnake 11y ago
  I think that lumping injured and killed together to get nice juicy number is misleading at best.
  - JustSomeNobody 11y ago
    I don't want to be injured or killed by someone who can't wait until they've stopped their vehicle to use their phone.
    - venomsnake 11y ago
      Probably. But there is subtle difference between injured and killed.
      - JustSomeNobody 11y ago
        Yes, but, again, I don't want either. Especially if it could have been prevented by just ... putting ... the ... phone ... down.
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
paulojreis 11y ago
"But we had forgotten that alongside Orwell's dark vision, there was another - slightly older, slightly less well known, equally chilling: Aldous Huxley's Brave New World. Contrary to common belief even among the educated, Huxley and Orwell did not prophesy the same thing. Orwell warns that we will be overcome by an externally imposed oppression. But in Huxley's vision, no Big Brother is required to deprive people of their autonomy, maturity and history. As he saw it, people will come to love their oppression, to adore the technologies that undo their capacities to think." "Amusing Ourselves to Death" by Neil Postman seems appropriate here.

54 points by SimplyUseless 11y ago

In Singapore, at the movies or even formal music concerts, like the symphony orchestra, the audience is full of people doing who knows what on their mobile phones throughout the entire event. It is so obnoxious. Best thing that's improved in my life since leaving Southeast Asia is being around people who aren't so intimately attached all the time with their silly phones. Even at a nice restaurant there, the table next to you is often a middle-aged couple watching a whole movie on their phone together -- speakers fully turned up.

peteretep 11y ago

Amazed in Bangkok at the degree to which I only ever see Samsung or Apple phones. Many more for sale in the shops, but I feel like Samsung and Apple absolutely dominate. Lots of very old phones, mind you.

saint_fiasco 11y ago
Maybe Samsung and Apple phones are the most durable brands.

anonnyj 11y ago

I know it happens elsewhere, but it's insane here in China: People using their phone while on the road. Whether it be crossing the street, driving their car, or trying to keep balance while holding the phone with both hands and driving their scooter with their elbows. I even see the police doing that.

stargazer-3 11y ago
One of my most memorable memories from Taiwan includes a police car stopping near us and two officers asking... if they can take a picture with us. But I would love to see some more in-depth analysis of Asian phone usage. This article gives a lot of numbers which, although interesting, are losing their meaning without a comparison to other parts of the world.

prodmerc 11y ago

This makes the lack of consumer HUDs/AR glasses even more perplexing. The technology is here, so why are companies toying around with smartwatches (a very limited concept, imo, might as well strap a small smartphone on your wrist :-)) instead of making these a reality for everyone: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Glass https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Glass http://www.lumus-optical.com/ http://www.lumus-optical.com/

digi_owl 11y ago
I'm speculating that video/AR glasses already had a problem because of how they distort facial shapes. And then Google Glass ran into the whole issue with the perception of permanent surveillance. Never mind that the position and such of the display on Google Glass was not the most useful for real AR applications. Frankly i think our real problem is not output, but input. Outside of going lotus with a laptop, inputing anything but the smallest of data amounts is a right pain on the go.
jdhawk 11y ago
Well, there is Navdy - which looks like a really interesting product. I hope it brings a plethora of like devices.
JustSomeNobody 11y ago
It's not perplexing. People don't want it. They thought Glass was ... nerdy and creepy.
- brador 11y ago
  Because it was shitty low res with few viable use cases. Make it high res, full view AR, nice robust design and actually useful and it will blow up.
  - JustSomeNobody 11y ago
    It would only be a niche.

userbinator 11y ago

Although I like the saying "smart phones dumb people", I think this is just a subset of computer addiction; but in this case, the computer is so easily portable that people become even more preoccupied with it and become unaware of their physical environment.

zxcdw 11y ago
But isn't computer just the medium to access the real addiction-causing substance, whatever it may be? I mean, if you give person a computer of any kind without internet access, they'll likely feel just as anxious as not having the device in the first place. This, to me, would suggest that what actually causes the addiction is something these online services provide for people. Be it for example some form of self-expression in form of Facebook status updates. They'll be fine for as long as they get to make the update for example (and perhaps see it go live? As in to check their outside appearance like a person checks the mirror after fixing their clothing, despite knowing the clothing is fine. Just need that feedback for the sake of feedback itself, not for any particular practical reason necessarily). Why do I make the distinction? Because I've had to deal with something related to the subject matter myself. (Acknowledgement of some form/sort of addiction, which isn't computers themselves (though the addiction-causing behavior is mediated through a computer), or "being online", but something more general because the addiction takes its shape and form for as long as the online service provides the easy "dopamine rush" (in lack of a better term), perhaps to relieve some underlying anxiety?)
- tdkl 11y ago
  > But isn't computer just the medium to access the real addiction-causing substance, whatever it may be? Sure, this ain't anything new. The internet, is a source of constant novelty addiction, which keeps the brain stimulated. Mobile phone is just another medium, that you can carry around all the time and extend that addiction and makes it possible anywhere.
  - andygates 11y ago
    And all that gossip and kitten-video-sharing, that's just ... human interaction. It's almost as if we're a social species which uses low-information chatter as grooming.

Kenji 11y ago

I don't even know what people do all day on their smartphones. I only use mine when I need to quickly check a fact, e.g. when my train departs or where a building that I've never been to is located. I dislike the touchscreen interface. Gaming on it is horrible, typing is horrible, navigation is passable if the buttons are big enough. Overall, the desktop is vastly superior in every way and when I'm on the road, I prefer looking at my surroundings and sorting out my thoughts because I couldn't do serious computer work anyway.

allengeorge 11y ago
My 5 biggest uses: 1. Manage my inbox/respond to emails 2. Maps 3. Product/restaurant reviews 4. Read books on the Kindle app 5. Scan HN :) Of course - everyone is different, so my list is not universal. I agree with you however, that using a phone for input is...less than ideal.
Kiro 11y ago
For me: Facebook and HN.
something123 11y ago
> I don't even know what people do all day on their smartphones This is a mindblowing thing to hear. You really don't know that people use cellphones to keep in touch with friends? Did you miss the last 10 years or something? I have friends all around the world who I don't get to see in person and I want to maintain those friendships through chat and social media bc they are very meaningful to me. I'm constantly on my phone. Sure a desktop is more convenient, but I'm not at my computer all day. The phone lets you have an ongoing conversation. Without them you'd only be able to talk with people when you're both sitting at a computer.... Or you'd have to send long messages and wait hours to hear back from them; which is less dynamic and engaging. At the same time it does allow you to have pauses in the conversation, so not only can you take the time to think and for instance write a thoughtful response, but you can also easily do other things in the mean time. You can buy groceries and chat and then stop for a minute when you're at the checkout counter. So it's vastly better than making a phone call

justin_d 11y ago

Worth pointing out that every year millions of people worldwide are killed or injured by drivers using cell phones while driving.

JosephRedfern 11y ago
Wow, I didn't realise the number was that high - that's shocking. Do you have a link to the source for that stat? (not suggesting it's incorrect, would just like to read more)
- voidz 11y ago
  Sure, lemme just fi
venomsnake 11y ago
I think that lumping injured and killed together to get nice juicy number is misleading at best.
- JustSomeNobody 11y ago
  I don't want to be injured or killed by someone who can't wait until they've stopped their vehicle to use their phone.
  - venomsnake 11y ago
    Probably. But there is subtle difference between injured and killed.
    - JustSomeNobody 11y ago
      Yes, but, again, I don't want either. Especially if it could have been prevented by just ... putting ... the ... phone ... down.
deleted 11y ago
[deleted]

paulojreis 11y ago

"But we had forgotten that alongside Orwell's dark vision, there was another - slightly older, slightly less well known, equally chilling: Aldous Huxley's Brave New World. Contrary to common belief even among the educated, Huxley and Orwell did not prophesy the same thing. Orwell warns that we will be overcome by an externally imposed oppression. But in Huxley's vision, no Big Brother is required to deprive people of their autonomy, maturity and history. As he saw it, people will come to love their oppression, to adore the technologies that undo their capacities to think." "Amusing Ourselves to Death" by Neil Postman seems appropriate here.