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That's a very very weak argument for conforming to a potentially harmful set of behaviors, and an old argument at that. "Go to church or your neighbors will shu

by M_Grey 10y ago

That's a very very weak argument for conforming to a potentially harmful set of behaviors, and an old argument at that. "Go to church or your neighbors will shun you!" What an absurd amount of power and choice to cede to companies and people who do not care about you.

Freak_NL 10y ago
Don't mistake that observation for my agreement with the status quo. I am fairly pessimistic about the way smartphones are invading our lives. And personally, I own a smartphone that doesn't even run most 'apps', because it isn't an Android or IOS smartphone — and I am fine with that, because I can handle the consequences (such as they are). But pragmatically speaking, what alternative do you have with a twelve year starting their secondary education? Do you want your child to be the only one in class without a smartphone? Kids in middle/high school use apps (WhatsApp etc.) to stay in touch — not just for gossip and chat, but also for coordination of class assignments and social gatherings — and you want to exclude your child from this? It would be more humane to just send them to school in dungarees and wooden clogs with a 'kick me' sign stuck on their backs for good measure… I'm sure that there lots of places where the majority of a class of twelve year old teens has no smartphone at all, but that is becoming rare in developed countries. Sure, if you could band together with other parents you might be able to come up with a different approach, but that's not what's happening.
- M_Grey 10y ago
  What you're describing sounds difficult, but ultimately something that can be managed. By contrast I would be concerned about the amount of time a lot of people of all ages spend on cells for RSI reasons alone. When you add a teenage sense of risk and impulse control, things like the SnapChat leaks are notable only for their relative rarity. Then you have this kind of endemic bullshit: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13930707 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13930707

by M_Grey 10y ago

Freak_NL 10y ago

Don't mistake that observation for my agreement with the status quo. I am fairly pessimistic about the way smartphones are invading our lives. And personally, I own a smartphone that doesn't even run most 'apps', because it isn't an Android or IOS smartphone — and I am fine with that, because I can handle the consequences (such as they are). But pragmatically speaking, what alternative do you have with a twelve year starting their secondary education? Do you want your child to be the only one in class without a smartphone? Kids in middle/high school use apps (WhatsApp etc.) to stay in touch — not just for gossip and chat, but also for coordination of class assignments and social gatherings — and you want to exclude your child from this? It would be more humane to just send them to school in dungarees and wooden clogs with a 'kick me' sign stuck on their backs for good measure… I'm sure that there lots of places where the majority of a class of twelve year old teens has no smartphone at all, but that is becoming rare in developed countries. Sure, if you could band together with other parents you might be able to come up with a different approach, but that's not what's happening.

M_Grey 10y ago
What you're describing sounds difficult, but ultimately something that can be managed. By contrast I would be concerned about the amount of time a lot of people of all ages spend on cells for RSI reasons alone. When you add a teenage sense of risk and impulse control, things like the SnapChat leaks are notable only for their relative rarity. Then you have this kind of endemic bullshit: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13930707 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13930707