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I'm currently watching a major military conflict unfold in near real-time via Reddit, so I'm going to go with either no, or yes but the definition of pacifier i

I'm currently watching a major military conflict unfold in near real-time via Reddit, so I'm going to go with either no, or yes but the definition of pacifier is really weird. Glibness aside, I think sure, for some people all of the time, and for all people some of the time, a phone is just a pacifier. But it's also our window into basically the entire wealth of human knowledge, indexed better than it has ever been in all of history. So I really think that's something worth not selling so short.

jt2190 5y ago
> But it's also our window into basically the entire wealth of human knowledge… Yes, true, but the article discusses how physical presence of the device itself reassures its owner, and conversely how upsetting it can be for the owner to be without their device. Part of that reassurance may come from, as you say, having a window into the entire wealth of human knowledge, or from having a connection to friends and family, etc.
- AniseAbyss 5y ago
  I recall that the Japanese were the first to make waterproof mobile phones so that people could keep chatting while taking a shower. On a personal observation: in the beginning I frequently forgot my phone. Now it is as standard to me as a wallet or keys. I can subconsciously feel its weight in my pocket.
  - jrumbut 5y ago
    Interestingly I forget my wallet and keys all the time (to the extent it is possible since most trips require driving where I am). My phone and wedding ring are the only items that give me the "something is missing" spidey sense.
fein 5y ago
> But it's also our window into basically the entire wealth of human knowledge If you're consuming all of your coverage through reddit, I think you're conflating one side's propaganda with "knowledge". It (the internet) used to be a window into a wealth of human knowledge, but at the current state of things it is merely another vector to help you mainline <insert large company's> propaganda engine and, for most that don't run ad blockers, stuff you full of advertisements. Ten, maybe 15 years ago your statement would have been more true, but the internet has become progressively smaller and the content more curated by big money interests than any time in the past.
- fartcannon 5y ago
  Reddit and Facebook basically the same thing these days. Both seem to have audiences 35+, both are full of PR/propaganda and both have valuable niche information. The internet sucks now, basically.
  - emteycz 5y ago
    There is now an infinitely larger internet that's not Facebook or Reddit than there ever was. The internet is just as awesome as it used to be, and now the awesomeness has virtually infinite scale. Just don't visit Reddit and Facebook (and Twitter).
    - fartcannon 5y ago
      I am a millennial, the source of reddits power. I am also blinded by it. How do you access the rest of this infinitely awesome internet? Google searching for things doesn't help me and it seems like most new things are behind locks/discord instances.
      - Shared404 5y ago
        Context: Am early 20's. Am also on mobile atm, so sorry for any bad formatting. Follow links, not search engines. Use HN, or link aggregators to find sites interesting to you. I've founf goodwebsites.org to have some interesting reads - but that is only curated by page quality, not content. Some sites linked there have very innacurate content much like the rest of the internet. Also, https://1mb.club/ https://1mb.club/ has a list of sites, many of which are interesting.
        fartcannon 5y ago
        Thanks! I'll look around. Tragic that search engines no longer work.
        Shared404 5y ago
warner25 5y ago
Do you say this because the people producing the content are using smartphones to post videos and live updates? Because I can access the entire wealth of human knowledge just fine by sitting down with my laptop, avoiding some of the issues with having a smartphone on me at all times. I'm currently listening to Digital Minimalism (audiobook on my smartphone, haha) and Cal Newport makes the case that most things should wait until you can get home and use your laptop.
krallja 5y ago
I put a label “INTERNET HATE MACHINE” on my iPad after a while, because what I really used it for was getting outraged by crap on Twitter instead of going to bed. I deleted Twitter.app and started playing casual games instead, and slept slightly better. Finally I got rid of the iPad and moved my phone charger to the far side of my bedroom. My sleep improved a lot. Then I had another baby! All I have the energy for now is shallow web browsing and memes.

jt2190 5y ago

> But it's also our window into basically the entire wealth of human knowledge… Yes, true, but the article discusses how physical presence of the device itself reassures its owner, and conversely how upsetting it can be for the owner to be without their device. Part of that reassurance may come from, as you say, having a window into the entire wealth of human knowledge, or from having a connection to friends and family, etc.

AniseAbyss 5y ago
I recall that the Japanese were the first to make waterproof mobile phones so that people could keep chatting while taking a shower. On a personal observation: in the beginning I frequently forgot my phone. Now it is as standard to me as a wallet or keys. I can subconsciously feel its weight in my pocket.
- jrumbut 5y ago
  Interestingly I forget my wallet and keys all the time (to the extent it is possible since most trips require driving where I am). My phone and wedding ring are the only items that give me the "something is missing" spidey sense.

fein 5y ago

> But it's also our window into basically the entire wealth of human knowledge If you're consuming all of your coverage through reddit, I think you're conflating one side's propaganda with "knowledge". It (the internet) used to be a window into a wealth of human knowledge, but at the current state of things it is merely another vector to help you mainline <insert large company's> propaganda engine and, for most that don't run ad blockers, stuff you full of advertisements. Ten, maybe 15 years ago your statement would have been more true, but the internet has become progressively smaller and the content more curated by big money interests than any time in the past.

fartcannon 5y ago
Reddit and Facebook basically the same thing these days. Both seem to have audiences 35+, both are full of PR/propaganda and both have valuable niche information. The internet sucks now, basically.
- emteycz 5y ago
  There is now an infinitely larger internet that's not Facebook or Reddit than there ever was. The internet is just as awesome as it used to be, and now the awesomeness has virtually infinite scale. Just don't visit Reddit and Facebook (and Twitter).
  - fartcannon 5y ago
    I am a millennial, the source of reddits power. I am also blinded by it. How do you access the rest of this infinitely awesome internet? Google searching for things doesn't help me and it seems like most new things are behind locks/discord instances.
    - Shared404 5y ago
      Context: Am early 20's. Am also on mobile atm, so sorry for any bad formatting. Follow links, not search engines. Use HN, or link aggregators to find sites interesting to you. I've founf goodwebsites.org to have some interesting reads - but that is only curated by page quality, not content. Some sites linked there have very innacurate content much like the rest of the internet. Also, https://1mb.club/ https://1mb.club/ has a list of sites, many of which are interesting.
      - fartcannon 5y ago
        Thanks! I'll look around. Tragic that search engines no longer work.
        Shared404 5y ago

warner25 5y ago

Do you say this because the people producing the content are using smartphones to post videos and live updates? Because I can access the entire wealth of human knowledge just fine by sitting down with my laptop, avoiding some of the issues with having a smartphone on me at all times. I'm currently listening to Digital Minimalism (audiobook on my smartphone, haha) and Cal Newport makes the case that most things should wait until you can get home and use your laptop.

krallja 5y ago

I put a label “INTERNET HATE MACHINE” on my iPad after a while, because what I really used it for was getting outraged by crap on Twitter instead of going to bed. I deleted Twitter.app and started playing casual games instead, and slept slightly better. Finally I got rid of the iPad and moved my phone charger to the far side of my bedroom. My sleep improved a lot. Then I had another baby! All I have the energy for now is shallow web browsing and memes.