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While I take a lot of issues with the article itself, I concur the core message completely due to having done the experiment myself. Two months ago I gave up m

While I take a lot of issues with the article itself, I concur the core message completely due to having done the experiment myself. Two months ago I gave up my phone for a week, for a class on ethics along with a single other student. Not being able to listen to podcasts, audiobooks, and music everywhere I go, I fell into so many more conversations than I normally would in a week. what I realized was that, while I didn't feel addicted to my phone I definitely was missing out on a lot of unique interactions by wearing headphones everywhere I went.

jseliger 7y ago
While I take a lot of issues with the article itself, I concur the core message completely due to having done the experiment myself. This has been my experience in teaching as well: https://jakeseliger.com/2008/12/28/laptops-students-distraction-hardly-a-surprise https://jakeseliger.com/2008/12/28/laptops-students-distract...
skizm 7y ago
> I definitely was missing out on a lot of unique interactions by wearing headphones everywhere I went. As someone who works in a big city, this is why I wear my headphones everywhere. I am usually not even listening to anything, I just don't want random people to engage me.
- collyw 7y ago
  That seems quite irrational. I don't wear headphones in public very often, and its rarely that someone wants to interact with me. Usually its just to ask where some street is, and it actually feels quite good if you are able to help someone.
  - reidjs 7y ago
    I appreciate where you're coming from and wish that were usually the case, but where I live 99/100 public interactions are to guilt you out of your money one way or another. Everyone's got to make money somehow so I respect their right to ask, but if I'm not in the mood to give away cash why waste their time by acknowledging them? I've never had to beg for money, but imagine you _really_ need a few bucks ASAP. You get someone's attention and they start talking about their problems, offer you some half eaten food, etc but ultimately refuse to give you some money. I would rather these good-hearted but cheap folks ignore me so I can talk to people who are in the giving spirit.

jseliger 7y ago

While I take a lot of issues with the article itself, I concur the core message completely due to having done the experiment myself. This has been my experience in teaching as well: https://jakeseliger.com/2008/12/28/laptops-students-distraction-hardly-a-surprise https://jakeseliger.com/2008/12/28/laptops-students-distract...

skizm 7y ago

> I definitely was missing out on a lot of unique interactions by wearing headphones everywhere I went. As someone who works in a big city, this is why I wear my headphones everywhere. I am usually not even listening to anything, I just don't want random people to engage me.

collyw 7y ago
That seems quite irrational. I don't wear headphones in public very often, and its rarely that someone wants to interact with me. Usually its just to ask where some street is, and it actually feels quite good if you are able to help someone.
- reidjs 7y ago
  I appreciate where you're coming from and wish that were usually the case, but where I live 99/100 public interactions are to guilt you out of your money one way or another. Everyone's got to make money somehow so I respect their right to ask, but if I'm not in the mood to give away cash why waste their time by acknowledging them? I've never had to beg for money, but imagine you _really_ need a few bucks ASAP. You get someone's attention and they start talking about their problems, offer you some half eaten food, etc but ultimately refuse to give you some money. I would rather these good-hearted but cheap folks ignore me so I can talk to people who are in the giving spirit.