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I get your gist, but if someone spends 99% of their time playing Candy Crush and 1% using Wiki, it's not a net win for them vs spending 50% of their time doing

I get your gist, but if someone spends 99% of their time playing Candy Crush and 1% using Wiki, it's not a net win for them vs spending 50% of their time doing nothing and the other 50% reading a book instead.

pavel_lishin 9y ago
But before phones, did those folks read books and do nothing? Or is it more likely that they watched football and soap operas on TV?
- aaron-lebo 9y ago
  It's been awhile, but as I recall, people weren't watching football and soap operas everywhere, they couldn't. The modern equivalent is having those to go. That's not even taking into account addictions and misinformation.
  - dragontamer 9y ago
    No. People went to Bars (or horse racing tracks) and didn't go home for that.
    - tlarkworthy 9y ago
      Thats a good point, kids today have reduced binge drinking and smoking, the stuff you could do on the go in the old days.
- addicted 9y ago
  Football and Soap Operas are simply not comparable to the kind of addiction the smartphone people are able to build into their products. Facebook has an army of phds whose only goal is to make sure Facebook’s users spend another few percent of their time on Facebook. And Facebook with its social interaction, and in depth knowledge of each user, can actively drive its users to spend more time on it in ways no other medium has been able to so far. And it’s not just Facebook. It’s oretty much every tech company, barring maybe Apple.
  - bcoates 9y ago
    I think you're really underestimating the shocking amount of television people used to watch. Many baby boomers have spent most of their adult life spending almost every free moment in front of a TV.
    - ntsplnkv2 9y ago
      The number is inherently less because you can't watch TV in the car, you can't watch TV on the bus, you can't watch TV at work, etc... Now that happens everywhere. Use levels of TV vs smartphones aren't close. The comparison is simply absurd because of the nature of the technology.
  - pavel_lishin 9y ago
    My point wasn't so much about addiction, it's that if someone is determined to kill time, they'll find a way to do it.
  - rock_hard 9y ago
    You say that as if it were a fact. Can you please provide sources for this!

pavel_lishin 9y ago

But before phones, did those folks read books and do nothing? Or is it more likely that they watched football and soap operas on TV?

aaron-lebo 9y ago
It's been awhile, but as I recall, people weren't watching football and soap operas everywhere, they couldn't. The modern equivalent is having those to go. That's not even taking into account addictions and misinformation.
- dragontamer 9y ago
  No. People went to Bars (or horse racing tracks) and didn't go home for that.
  - tlarkworthy 9y ago
    Thats a good point, kids today have reduced binge drinking and smoking, the stuff you could do on the go in the old days.
addicted 9y ago
Football and Soap Operas are simply not comparable to the kind of addiction the smartphone people are able to build into their products. Facebook has an army of phds whose only goal is to make sure Facebook’s users spend another few percent of their time on Facebook. And Facebook with its social interaction, and in depth knowledge of each user, can actively drive its users to spend more time on it in ways no other medium has been able to so far. And it’s not just Facebook. It’s oretty much every tech company, barring maybe Apple.
- bcoates 9y ago
  I think you're really underestimating the shocking amount of television people used to watch. Many baby boomers have spent most of their adult life spending almost every free moment in front of a TV.
  - ntsplnkv2 9y ago
    The number is inherently less because you can't watch TV in the car, you can't watch TV on the bus, you can't watch TV at work, etc... Now that happens everywhere. Use levels of TV vs smartphones aren't close. The comparison is simply absurd because of the nature of the technology.
- pavel_lishin 9y ago
  My point wasn't so much about addiction, it's that if someone is determined to kill time, they'll find a way to do it.
- rock_hard 9y ago
  You say that as if it were a fact. Can you please provide sources for this!