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I get where you're coming from but to say that computers and phones aren't used to improve people's lives is ridiculous. GPS in my pocket. Internet connected c

I get where you're coming from but to say that computers and phones aren't used to improve people's lives is ridiculous. GPS in my pocket. Internet connected calorie counting app. Streaming whatever show I want on demand instead of watching the one show that's on. Paying $120 dollars a year to listen to whatever music I want to. A calendar that's on all my devices that my wife can add things on. A speaker that can stream my music straight from the internet by itself. Those are just the things I can think off of the top of my head.

pdimitar 8y ago
Well I might have exaggerated. :) I do make heavy use of my phone's productivity apps -- calendars, shopping lists, todo lists, and many others. What I do not use though is stuff like Facebook and the numerous mind-numbing "games" trying to strong-arm you into buying their diamond currency every 15 minutes. I also make heavy use of Safari's ability to pull my MacBook's tabs to my iPhone or iPad, or between any of them. Really helps when you started reading something at home and then want to finish reading it while in the subway, for example. Let's just say that I am a proponent of the idea to make my devices work for me, not me working for them. And sadly the latter is what we are nudged towards by many apps and services. It seems everybody is trying to addict us and we have to actively fight that back and make sure our devices help our lives and don't turn us into zombies. Would you concur on that point?
- wilsonnb 8y ago
  That I do concur with. I also don't use Facebook for the reasons you stated, although I'm still trying to kick my Reddit habit.
pcrock 8y ago
Would your relationship with your wife improve, or deteriorate, if you were deprived of the TV shows you watch? Maybe for you, losing TV would be a bad thing. Maybe. But for many, being entertained more easily is not necessarily an improvement to life. And that's kind of the point of the article. Technology is good... except for when it's not. We need to get better at evaluating it for what it really contributes to life.
- wilsonnb 8y ago
  Can you explain to me how being entertained more easily not an improvement? I'm not sure I understand.
  - tux1968 8y ago
    One notion is that it reduces the time available where you can be more deeply involved together in activities that are more life affirming and relationship sustaining.

pdimitar 8y ago

Well I might have exaggerated. :) I do make heavy use of my phone's productivity apps -- calendars, shopping lists, todo lists, and many others. What I do not use though is stuff like Facebook and the numerous mind-numbing "games" trying to strong-arm you into buying their diamond currency every 15 minutes. I also make heavy use of Safari's ability to pull my MacBook's tabs to my iPhone or iPad, or between any of them. Really helps when you started reading something at home and then want to finish reading it while in the subway, for example. Let's just say that I am a proponent of the idea to make my devices work for me, not me working for them. And sadly the latter is what we are nudged towards by many apps and services. It seems everybody is trying to addict us and we have to actively fight that back and make sure our devices help our lives and don't turn us into zombies. Would you concur on that point?

wilsonnb 8y ago
That I do concur with. I also don't use Facebook for the reasons you stated, although I'm still trying to kick my Reddit habit.

pcrock 8y ago

Would your relationship with your wife improve, or deteriorate, if you were deprived of the TV shows you watch? Maybe for you, losing TV would be a bad thing. Maybe. But for many, being entertained more easily is not necessarily an improvement to life. And that's kind of the point of the article. Technology is good... except for when it's not. We need to get better at evaluating it for what it really contributes to life.

wilsonnb 8y ago
Can you explain to me how being entertained more easily not an improvement? I'm not sure I understand.
- tux1968 8y ago
  One notion is that it reduces the time available where you can be more deeply involved together in activities that are more life affirming and relationship sustaining.