4 ms·

On the timeline of humanity, our pocket computers are brand-new. It will likely be a couple of decades before we sort out the social norms of using them. Howe

On the timeline of humanity, our pocket computers are brand-new. It will likely be a couple of decades before we sort out the social norms of using them. However, I think that we will fall towards using these devices constantly in all social settings because the young people growing up won't have the nostalgia of time before smartphones-- there was never a time where you and your friends sat at a table and talked completely free of digital interruption. Go to a coffee shop or restaurant near a high school around the lunch hour...

kbenson 10y ago
It's also possible the current physical manifestations of these devices will change quite a bit in the near future. I imagine in 20 years of less we'll mostly be using some eye based (glasses, lenses, whatever) display with AR and gesture control.(likely with a gesture "shorthand" for AR control with limited movement for when you don't want to wave your hand in front of you). At that point, it will be both much more and much less invasive, as it will likely be fully integrated. You can use it to enhance your conversation by adding context, distract from your conversation by utilizing it for something unrelated, or ignore it entirely. Sort of like your memory and imagination now (because that's what it will be at that point, a slower but much fuller extension to your current mind).
- stevecalifornia 10y ago
  Thats an intriguing prediction of the future.
  - kbenson 10y ago
    Well, I think all the essential features are already present, so I think it's a fairly safe bet. - We already have AR - We already have gesture control - We already have glasses displays - I already use my phone in this manner in conversations (I'll do a quick lookup on something we are discussing but are unsure about while trying to still listen). You could essentially live most of this scenario right now if you were willing to put up with the heavy equipment and short battery life.
  - prodmerc 10y ago
    Why intriguing? That's the only way I see it going, as well. The Internet is already an extended memory. Other people's minds are an extended processing power, as well. It can only get closer and more tightly integrated to our brains, unless society as a whole chooses to get away from that. This is why privacy concerns are real - what we do today about them will impact the future massively. Will there be a central database of people's private thoughts and memories or will they remain private?
- robotresearcher 10y ago
  I bet that the current small tablet format will dominate for a very long time. It has few drawbacks and is very simple to implement.
kleiba 10y ago
But it could also swing the other way: after the novelty wears off people might find it more respectful to pay attention to whoever you're sharing the table with in that coffee shop. There have always been ways to momentarily withdraw from your company and preoccupy yourself with something personal, but still you don't see people suddenly pulling out a book or a newspaper and read a couple of paragraphs (to give a flawed analogy).

kbenson 10y ago

It's also possible the current physical manifestations of these devices will change quite a bit in the near future. I imagine in 20 years of less we'll mostly be using some eye based (glasses, lenses, whatever) display with AR and gesture control.(likely with a gesture "shorthand" for AR control with limited movement for when you don't want to wave your hand in front of you). At that point, it will be both much more and much less invasive, as it will likely be fully integrated. You can use it to enhance your conversation by adding context, distract from your conversation by utilizing it for something unrelated, or ignore it entirely. Sort of like your memory and imagination now (because that's what it will be at that point, a slower but much fuller extension to your current mind).

stevecalifornia 10y ago
Thats an intriguing prediction of the future.
- kbenson 10y ago
  Well, I think all the essential features are already present, so I think it's a fairly safe bet. - We already have AR - We already have gesture control - We already have glasses displays - I already use my phone in this manner in conversations (I'll do a quick lookup on something we are discussing but are unsure about while trying to still listen). You could essentially live most of this scenario right now if you were willing to put up with the heavy equipment and short battery life.
- prodmerc 10y ago
  Why intriguing? That's the only way I see it going, as well. The Internet is already an extended memory. Other people's minds are an extended processing power, as well. It can only get closer and more tightly integrated to our brains, unless society as a whole chooses to get away from that. This is why privacy concerns are real - what we do today about them will impact the future massively. Will there be a central database of people's private thoughts and memories or will they remain private?
robotresearcher 10y ago
I bet that the current small tablet format will dominate for a very long time. It has few drawbacks and is very simple to implement.

kleiba 10y ago

But it could also swing the other way: after the novelty wears off people might find it more respectful to pay attention to whoever you're sharing the table with in that coffee shop. There have always been ways to momentarily withdraw from your company and preoccupy yourself with something personal, but still you don't see people suddenly pulling out a book or a newspaper and read a couple of paragraphs (to give a flawed analogy).