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Makes me wonder how we all lived before Smartwatches. Were train commutes really that boring before the smartphone came about? Every day I walk to work listeni

Makes me wonder how we all lived before Smartwatches. Were train commutes really that boring before the smartphone came about? Every day I walk to work listening to music on my minidisc player. Looking around to all walking zombies staring down at their phones; as if the news, social media or whatever is a great thing to absorb first thing in the morning. Technology has engulfed us.

redundantly 3y ago
> Every day I walk to work listening to music on my minidisc player. Looking around to all walking zombies staring down at their phones; There were many people that made similar statements about people listening to their walkman/mini-disc/etc. "People these days can't be bothered to listen to the goin' ons around them!" Things change over time. Today's phone focused masses will be complaining about the cybernetically enhanced AR users of the future, or whatever crazy technology comes out.
- jeegsy 3y ago
  Yes, I've heard ppl make this response all the time that "its just like what people said in the past". It makes sense but I really think that "smart devices" in particular are different and a lot worse.
lmm 3y ago
> Were train commutes really that boring before the smartphone came about? Yes. You had to buy a physical newspaper/magazine, which was simultaneously more expensive and less interesting.
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
interroboink 3y ago
> Makes me wonder how we all lived before Smartwatches. I remember they had books, back then. And you could look out the window (: Actually, I don't have a smartwatch and don't want one. I guess I'm at a phase in my life where I'm looking for less attention-grabbers, not more. I've always found a blank piece of paper and a pen were a good way to fill an hour, too.
TranquilMarmot 3y ago
There's always something that people are doing that is considered "engulfing" in a negative sense. I'm sure if you saw somebody reading a physical book, you'd think "how quaint!" but even that was seen as an unnecessary distraction if you go far enough back in time https://archive.nytimes.com/op-talk.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/09/14/when-novels-were-bad-for-you/ https://archive.nytimes.com/op-talk.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/0...
serf 3y ago
>Every day I walk to work listening to music on my minidisc player. Looking around to all walking zombies staring down at their phones; as if the news, social media or whatever is a great thing to absorb first thing in the morning. I don't get how that's a much different disconnect than the person on their smartphone, it's just one that you're comfortable with differentiating yourself using. there was a point in nearly every transit-style life-span where the entertainment was supposed to be the thing itself. It would have been seen as despicable to read a novel on a very early passenger air flight -- the thrill and entertainment is supposed to be the thing itself. Then it gets normal, then it progresses to boring, and then you tune out. It seems like a pretty normal progression, and it has happened time and time again; it'll probably happen with again with flying cars/human-cannons/transporter beams/whatever, too. p.s. I loved the MD format, is it still practical at all to use? I can understand using it for the powerful seeking ability and such that has gone to the wayside nowadays but aside from that it seems less convenient than a small cheap mp3 player of some sort.. if I still had that equipment i'd probably still be playing with it too, though; md insertion is so satisfying from a mechanical point of view.
topato 3y ago
First you're talking life before smartwatches, then MD players. I wish I knew what happened to my MD player, I was only 8 or 9 when I was given it. And burning MD seemed as insurmountable a problem as affording a zip 100 drive at the time. Point is, before we had smartwatches, WE HAD MINIDISK PLAYERS.
kalleboo 3y ago
> Every day I walk to work listening to music on my minidisc player. Looking around to all walking zombies staring down at their phones When the Walkman came out, it was seen as incredibly antisocial to listen to your own music while out and about instead of participating in the world.
MayeulC 3y ago
You say that, yet I can ask these people something. Not so much with those who wear headphones, I have to gesticulate to catch their attention, or (gasp) touch them :) It's an all-in-one device, so everybody uses it to do something different. Some listen to music, others play games, most seem to stick to scrolling Instagram/tiktok/whatever. I personally reqd my RSS and help people out on IRC during long rides. When commuting regularly, I tend to take a book with me, as that requires a longer commitment.

redundantly 3y ago

> Every day I walk to work listening to music on my minidisc player. Looking around to all walking zombies staring down at their phones; There were many people that made similar statements about people listening to their walkman/mini-disc/etc. "People these days can't be bothered to listen to the goin' ons around them!" Things change over time. Today's phone focused masses will be complaining about the cybernetically enhanced AR users of the future, or whatever crazy technology comes out.

jeegsy 3y ago
Yes, I've heard ppl make this response all the time that "its just like what people said in the past". It makes sense but I really think that "smart devices" in particular are different and a lot worse.

lmm 3y ago

> Were train commutes really that boring before the smartphone came about? Yes. You had to buy a physical newspaper/magazine, which was simultaneously more expensive and less interesting.

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

interroboink 3y ago

> Makes me wonder how we all lived before Smartwatches. I remember they had books, back then. And you could look out the window (: Actually, I don't have a smartwatch and don't want one. I guess I'm at a phase in my life where I'm looking for less attention-grabbers, not more. I've always found a blank piece of paper and a pen were a good way to fill an hour, too.

TranquilMarmot 3y ago

There's always something that people are doing that is considered "engulfing" in a negative sense. I'm sure if you saw somebody reading a physical book, you'd think "how quaint!" but even that was seen as an unnecessary distraction if you go far enough back in time https://archive.nytimes.com/op-talk.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/09/14/when-novels-were-bad-for-you/ https://archive.nytimes.com/op-talk.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/0...

serf 3y ago

>Every day I walk to work listening to music on my minidisc player. Looking around to all walking zombies staring down at their phones; as if the news, social media or whatever is a great thing to absorb first thing in the morning. I don't get how that's a much different disconnect than the person on their smartphone, it's just one that you're comfortable with differentiating yourself using. there was a point in nearly every transit-style life-span where the entertainment was supposed to be the thing itself. It would have been seen as despicable to read a novel on a very early passenger air flight -- the thrill and entertainment is supposed to be the thing itself. Then it gets normal, then it progresses to boring, and then you tune out. It seems like a pretty normal progression, and it has happened time and time again; it'll probably happen with again with flying cars/human-cannons/transporter beams/whatever, too. p.s. I loved the MD format, is it still practical at all to use? I can understand using it for the powerful seeking ability and such that has gone to the wayside nowadays but aside from that it seems less convenient than a small cheap mp3 player of some sort.. if I still had that equipment i'd probably still be playing with it too, though; md insertion is so satisfying from a mechanical point of view.

topato 3y ago

First you're talking life before smartwatches, then MD players. I wish I knew what happened to my MD player, I was only 8 or 9 when I was given it. And burning MD seemed as insurmountable a problem as affording a zip 100 drive at the time. Point is, before we had smartwatches, WE HAD MINIDISK PLAYERS.

kalleboo 3y ago

> Every day I walk to work listening to music on my minidisc player. Looking around to all walking zombies staring down at their phones When the Walkman came out, it was seen as incredibly antisocial to listen to your own music while out and about instead of participating in the world.

MayeulC 3y ago

You say that, yet I can ask these people something. Not so much with those who wear headphones, I have to gesticulate to catch their attention, or (gasp) touch them :) It's an all-in-one device, so everybody uses it to do something different. Some listen to music, others play games, most seem to stick to scrolling Instagram/tiktok/whatever. I personally reqd my RSS and help people out on IRC during long rides. When commuting regularly, I tend to take a book with me, as that requires a longer commitment.