Family Of Four Where Everyone Was On Their Own Cell Phone At The Restaurant

[Grandfunkfan]

I see people wandering around in parking lots staring at their phones completely oblivious to their surroundings. I don't even bring mine to the store. It's nice to be unencumbered for a while. Whatever it is an wait.

 

[Lockback]

I know, it's not my problem and none of my business. I just think it's sad.

As you were.

You'll get no argument from me.
My wife and I see stuff like that all the time and we shake our heads. Lack of communication in the Real World replaced by digital means. It's a curse and it's already had a deleterious effect on people and society.

 

[WRHB]

I do know a family (of five) and those rules are waived when there's been a huge row and it would be better if nobody said a word. THEN they can look at the phone.

That would make sense.

 

[Trenchant63]

I live in Thailand, and it is worse here than in USA (if possible). IF a restaurant only has menu on QR, I would leave... find a "user friendly" spot. I have a Thai wife & see sadly pitiful couples that don't know how to talk to each other, just staring into phone... taking airport rail into Bangkok about 90% or more glued to phone.
At beach where I jam with friends had extreme couple years back: some young Russian woman under blanket so could surf her phone... for week or so she was here... I wanted to scream "Why the hell did you come here? You don't look at beach, sea, etc... you could have stayed in Irkutsk locked in bathroom with lights out & had same experience!"
This addiction is greatly damaging brains and that is borne out by studies. In a few decades perhaps a few who are not addle brained will ask "Why didn't we see this? This is like asbestos, or tobacco... readily apparent to anyone this is destructive"
another prime example was Russian mother with 3 daughters, maybe 4 thru 9. Mother and 2 older girls all glued to screens. The 4 year old with a look of "what am I being punished for?" as she had no screen. Social isolation/exclusion is punishment and seems the only way out for most addicts is to get "the rigs" to siblings so they can all be in same solitary confinement.
To call it "connectivity" is about the greatest misnomer I've ever heard

You’re not wrong. Much as I hate to admit it …..

 

[tfarny]

When I was a kid we just had to wait until adults weren't around to communicate. It's probably a good thing we didn't have secure communication methods. For all you know you were their getaway driver.

i was gonna say that when i was a teen i didn’t talk when parents were around either, there was a lot of vacant boredom / “contemplation” in those days that most of have forgotten all about. Also i was at a big 4th of july party yesterday and didn’t see anyone on phones , just of great conversation and joking.

mostly i agree with the sentiment of the thread but i have a contrarian impulse too

 

[ozcal]

said it before... i can t wait till leon musk puts a chip in my head... slightly tongue in cheek...

i have actually enjoyed a few YT videos of people walking along looking at their phones falling into ponds / fountains etc... great stuff..

 

[imwjl]

Context? At the phones in public can be just as much a sign of losers as they are signs of people working to be competitive and productive.

 

[gimmeatele]

My phone is my main source of internet, we are not well served by broadband out here. And as I was so objectionable to everyone in the past no one wants to ring me!

 

[ZackyDog]

Context? At the phones in public can be just as much a sign of losers as they are signs of people working to be competitive and productive.

Context: a "family" dinner out at a Mexican restaurant.

 

[voskarp]

Maybe they were chatting with each other on some app?

 

[P Thought]

I'm reading Marcus Aurelius right now. I believe he would advise us not to worry about anyone else, but to use our own phones in accord with our nature

 

[AliceAngelTele]

Another way to look at it: it's the technology of the time.

We can thank the boomer generation for "a TV in every room" and "TV Dinners".

 

[AliceAngelTele]

Nearly EVERY day I drive I see AT LEAST ONE person crossing the center line - presumably due to texting

How long have you lived in New Jersey?

 

[jpmist]

It's a generational thing isn't it? It's kinda mindblowing to watch my 10 year old grandnephew on his iPad mini. This historically unprecedented technology is a normal part of life to them and will be a significant aspect of their lives going forward.

So the last time we all met for a family birthday brunch I literally had to text my 13 year old grandnephew 4 feet away to get him to look up from his phone. He had the grace to at least be a bit embarrassed but that didn't stop him from hiding behind his screen the rest of the visit.

Shower, shave, dress and a 90 minute round trip in the car just so I have to compete with the kid's phone and tablet just to engage with them for 30 minutes is getting less and less fun than it used to be. . .

 

[Lonn]

I was sitting at a Starbucks a few years back and there was a table with 5 young adults. Four guys in their phones and a very attractive young woman looking around being bored. Idiots lol.

 

[canteytoque]

I don't even bring mine to the store.

I do, because it's got my shopping list. But that and actually using the device for calling are the only times I'll use the thing in public. I used to use it for jotting down lyrics; now I usually have a pad of paper and pen wherever I go.

We can thank the boomer generation for "a TV in every room" and "TV Dinners".

Eating from T.V. trays, tuned in to 'Happy Days'
Waiting for World War III while Jesus slaves
To the mating calls of lawyers in love

 

[Light Roast]

The only thing modern Americans are capable of talking about in public is their hero-worship or demonization of whoever the sitting president may be. Not interested. Hand me my phone.

 

[RandomKaren]

A few years back I was in a bar with my band and a family came in, sat down at a table and straightaway they all pulled out their smartphones and just ignored each other. From the few words they said they were Dutch and on vacation, you'd thought they'd have had something to talk about...

 

[archetype]

Hey, maybe it was one of those restaurants where you have to scan a QR code to look at the menu, and they were each making considered selections...

Could be. If there are no printed menus available, I ask for the manager and state why I'm leaving. I walked out of a taco place, yesterday, because I was forced to order from a tablet instead of an employee with a job.

 

[ZackyDog]

Could be. If there are no printed menus available, I ask for the manager and state why I'm leaving. I walked out of a taco place, yesterday, because I was forced to order from a tablet instead of an employee with a job.

I was inside Taco Bell a couple of months ago. I was told to use the kiosk to order, so I just got back in my car and used the drive-thru.