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Wholly unrelated but one thing that struck me about the photos here is that almost all the people in them are looking at phones. This was a little crazy to me i

• shiroiushi 2y ago
  >one thing that struck me about the photos here is that almost all the people in them are looking at phones. This was a little crazy to me in the times I have visited, when I would get on the train and there was this eerie silence as almost every person was looking at their phone. What do you expect them to do, stare at the wall? Phones are ubiquitous and people like to use them for reading books or manga or whatever while they're on their commute.
  • mym1990 2y ago
    Kind of expected this response. Sometimes self reflection is also an option.
    • numpad0 2y ago
      I kind of get the snark, but I'm also not sure of an alternative. Extreme population density of Tokyo likely owe a lot to acquired ignorance. No way our brains don't go total schezophrenic being highly social all day long inside the Yamanote loop.
      • shiroiushi 2y ago
        There's no real alternative: you either stare at people's shoes, or the ceiling, or you stare at your phone. The trains are crowded so it's basically impossible (during those times of the day) to look anywhere else, and staring at people is rude. Looking out the window isn't practical either: the seats are facing inwards, and there's people on the other side blocking the opposite window.
        • MichaelZuo 2y ago
          People can do other things, such as listening to music, an audiobook, reflect, meditate, etc...
          • shiroiushi 2y ago
            You still have to look somewhere. Lots of people certainly do listen to music, judging by all the people wearing wireless earbuds I see, but if they're not staring at their phone, they're staring at their lap, or sleeping. It's not quite this bad on uncrowded trains though. We're talking about the Yamanote line which is generally very crowded.
          • quartesixte 2y ago
            Do it with your eyes closed or stare blankly at the advertisements that plaster the walls of the train (conveniently located high up at the ceiling).
        • mym1990 2y ago
          I'm sure there are alternatives since mass transit has been around since before phones. The belief that the only option is to stare at a screen is a little bit depressing actually. I am not saying I do not do similar things, what struck me was that most people did not seem to have any awareness of what was going on around them. I would observe people on the train and not once did anyone look up. I guess the world outside of the phone is a pretty boring place. /s
          • shiroiushi 2y ago
            >I'm sure there are alternatives since mass transit has been around since before phones. Of course: before phones became common, everyone read books on the trains. Why exactly is this depressing? Now, instead of reading manga in a physical book, they're reading manga on their phone. >what struck me was that most people did not seem to have any awareness of what was going on around them. I would observe people on the train and not once did anyone look up. When you're packed in a crowded train where most people are standing and there's barely enough room for everyone, "observing people" just isn't something you do. Most people aren't tall enough to see anything anyway.
• nox101 2y ago
  Is this different anywhere else? https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo/cell-phones-people-subway-nyc.html?sortBy=relevant https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo/cell-phones-people-subway-...
  • mym1990 2y ago
    You really used a search specifically of people on their cell phones in subways as your proof that its the same everywhere? Wild.
• ayuhito 2y ago
  As someone who has to regularly commute one of these lines… doing “nothing” does become very dull after a while. I think this thread is a little overblown. Some people will do nothing, read a book, listen to music, or nap. But the easiest thing to fall back to is your phone, especially for a monotonous daily commute. I do at least try to be productive when using the phone, such as practicing my Japanese. But I think it’s totally normal to stare at the ground and listen to music etc.
  • kjkjadksj 2y ago
    I love doing nothing on the train to work. One of the few times a day I can sit and think my own organic thoughts for a decent chunk of time. There’s something to be said about how modern society sees people fill every free second with staring at content probably designed to influence you against your best interests in some way.