How can people stand staring at their phone so long?

Post Reply New Topic

Seriously even if I had a phone I could access the Internet with I doubt I'd constantly be looking at it. But I constantly see people constantly on their phone. People hanging out with each other but not really interacting because they are all on their phone interacting with facebook or whatever else. Not to mention its such a small screen I'd think peoples eyes would get sore after a while.

Does anyone else totally not get this obsession with staring at a small cell phone screens most of the day?, To the extent you're missing interactions with friends and activities you enjoy because you just gotta see if anyone updated their facebook status.

Yes, and then they get grumpy when you point it out. If you are with people be with people, the phone will still be there when they are not.

Indeed some of them do.

I find it annoying when I'm with a "friend" and instead of talking with me he just keeps using his mobile to chat with other people by text etc. I think it's very rude. When you are alone, you are free to spend as much time as you like on your phone, but when with people, you should be more considerate.

My fingers get very tired if I keep using the mobile to chat endlessly. Not that I have anyone to do that with. My fingers cramp easily when I use them for small things for too long.

Well I stare at my computer screen a lot so I can't really judge the cell phone starers.

I have no use for a cell phone. I hate talking into thin air or holding that tiny thing up to my ear. It makes me feel like a giant. (It isn't my age either since my mother loves her cell phone and texting.)

I hate using cell phones, and before that I hated using a car phone (the old fashioned type with a phone cord? Anyone remember those?) I had to pull over. I never thought it was safe to phone and drive...it's still legal though in some states.

I have no use for apps or texting.

I did once use a Blackberry because I had to travel a bit and didn't want to bring a laptop.It was useful for email but, it took forever and mostly was annoying. Given a choice I wouldn't have used it at all. I also thought it was rude because sometimes I'd answer in public and get baleful glares...I just think overall cell phones are items of rudeness. Good for an emergency though.

I like the idea of some places a phone cannot reach. I like the idea of peace and quiet. Usually if it can't wait until you get home to check email on computer then the other person needs to relax a little.

I have a cell phone. I feel like its a money pit more than anything because I hardly use it,

I keep getting told its a good thing to have but I beg to differ

I also don't understand that. Are they trying to impress someone with their cellphone?

I'm more likely to be on my Kindle. I only stare at it for long periods of time when I'm drawing on it.

a lot of my friends do this all the time, it gets old but I only get irritated when it was there idea to hang out?
one time I told a friend, who asked me to go have beers with him at the bar, I'm broke(my friends know I won't go out with no money?). he told me he would buy me 3-5beers and he didn't want to sit at the bar alone, so I agreed. 45min. of him staring at his phone I had to ask why I was there? he talked for a few min. before he went back to his phone.
it's an addiction and that is why I don't want a smart phone, my computer takes up enough of my time.

How can I stand staring at my computer screen all day long? My eyes should be about wrecked already! Where's the near-sightedness or the eye soreness? If not that then I must be quite immune to it! Haha!

I hate this so freaking much. As someone who craves deep, meaningful friendship, it bothers me because when they ignore me to check their phone, our opportunity for bonding is lost. I don't take it personally, because I think it's the sign of recent times when people might be valuing their social relationships less. Many people in my life are phone addicts, and they mostly check twitter or facebook, so I can understand why they do it. Sites like those are extremely addicting. During times in my life when I've had both accounts, I could not stop checking them.

I don't often stop to use my phone when I'm in the street but when I do I at least try to stand behind a phone box or somewhere where no one can bump into me. Why do most people just stop dead in the middle of the pavement?

Before I had a phone with the internet I used to wonder why are people looking at their phone and they must get several texts from their friends, family, etc. Now I realize that a phone with the internet is great to have when you are bored and waiting in line or when you are out and need quick information from the internet. When I go out to eat with friends I don't look at my phone and check face book since that is just not me. I use my phone more for information or if I am bored. To me it is rude to keep checking my phone if I am out with friends. Also people who talked loudly on their cell phone/Iphone, etc. are rude.

I walk towards those people and pretend I'm not paying attention either.
One of the councils in London considered fitting protective pads to lamp posts to avoid injuries for the obsessed text walkers.

Regarding the OP, I feel that many peoples lives are so lacking in substance and control, to make up for this many become very psychologically attached to their devices.

I used to work in an inclusive role with young people, it was not safe for them to be on the deck of the boat, traditional sailing vessel, and using their phones. Often the rules were broken resulting in phone confiscation, this act could easily derail the whole trip.

The designers are also very good at including tweeks that encourage over use. My laptop has a light that grows and dims, grows and dims, the frequency "just happens" to be at the same rate as human breathing. I find this very annoying and cut a little bit of tape to cover this over. This little feature is there to encourage bonding and use the machine sub-consciously.

Yes safety is an issue and people that talk on their phone and drive make me upset and heaven forbid if someone should text and drive, their license should be revoked.