Are we addicted to our electronic gadgets?

I've been finding the smart phone more and more of a "necessity" lately. Everything seems geared to it. You can do all the same things on it as you do on a computer, without carrying around a heavy laptop. Which is probably one reason they have become so popular.

And, as good as email is, my family and I have found that texting on the phones is a lot more convenient and a better way of communicating. And a great way of sending pictures back and forth to each other.

I think with the technology changing all the time, we need to try to keep our minds flexible. Some of the changes are actually good things!
 

Wow now I am rreally addicted. I found out my cell phone can do more than my computer because it's operating system is better than my old XP computer.
I just installed Microsoft Word this morning and it's a freebie.
I sent a letter to the landlords this morning and included a picture right on the letter with the insert command. It was a suggestion to make the apartment complex more secure.
I could have used e-mail but hard copy letters can't be ignored.
I can just imagine management running around the office saying "look at this". You can't do that with a phone call or e-mail.
Wow. Just got a printer which is wireless. Really inexpensive Canon TS3100.
Printed the letter to it from my cell phone.
The phone function is a minor convenience.
It's like a mini computer.
 
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Aunt Bea said:
I lean towards being a Luddite.

For me, it is about choosing the technology that is appropriate for me and the way that I choose to live.

I'm more than willing to add to my arsenal of electronic gadgets if the item will enhance my life more than it will complicate it.

My gripe right now is the addition of all the various electronic safety features to automobiles. I don't really need or want the electronic protection features. IMO it's a way for the automotive industry to defray the cost and experiment with the technology needed to develop autonomous vehicles.
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Not to mention that all that electronic car stuff just adds another thing that something can go wrong with (abominable grammar, I know). Recently I spent a fair amount of time, aggravation and waiting around trying to figure out what was wrong with the car, only to find out there wasn't anything wrong with the car itself, but that the doo-dads that tell you there is something wrong were acting up. Are we going to need another bank of doo-dads to tell us when there is acting up among the doo-dads that are supposed to tell us our cars are acting up?
 
Butterfly said:
Not to mention that all that electronic car stuff just adds another thing that something can go wrong with (abominable grammar, I know). Recently I spent a fair amount of time, aggravation and waiting around trying to figure out what was wrong with the car, only to find out there wasn't anything wrong with the car itself, but that the doo-dads that tell you there is something wrong were acting up. Are we going to need another bank of doo-dads to tell us when there is acting up among the doo-dads that are supposed to tell us our cars are acting up?
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Yes. It has already been invented. It plugs into your car or device and tells you what is acting up. Mechanics use them every day. My internet went down the other day and I couldn't use google to find out how much a stamp cost to mail a letter because I couldn't use e mail. Sunday the ATM machines were down and I couldn't get cash. We are locked in.
 
SeaBreeze said:
I'm definitely not connected to any devices, although not too long ago I bought my first smartphone. I use it like my old Tracfone, basically for emergencies or short calls to my husband and when I get home I shut it down.

I have used it now and then while waiting for take out in a pizza place or restaurant, comes in handy to easily pass the time. Lots of times I'll just grab a magazine like at the dentist, etc. Our generation just didn't use such electronic devices, but I can understand why many folks these days do. My only grip is when they text while driving, other than that it's really a non-issue for me, whatever makes them happy.
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It bugs me when someone is talking loud on their phone and all and sundry are forced to endure a blow-by-blow of their date last Friday night or their kid's school problems, etc. I note my chiropractor's office has put up a sign (on neon-orange paper) that says "if we can hear you talking on your phone, your appointment will be moved to the last in line." I guess this was because so many people ignored their nice, discreet "please step outside if you must talk on your cell phone" sign.
 
GeorgiaXplant said:
about a year ago, the big carriers announced that they'd be gone in the next two-three years
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The more of these articles I look up, the less clarity I have. It sounds as if the large carriers want to get out of the copper wire phone line business because it's outdated, expensive to build and problematic to maintain. Makes sense. Then again, many areas have already been converted to fiber optic cable, so there are alternatives.

On the negative side: much of the US still has spotty signals including plenty of dead zones within urban areas. US states are not likely to permit public utilities to pull the plug (as it were) before ensuring everyone is covered and cell 911 locating gets vastly improved over the "ish" area locating that it has now. (For instance, 911 cell phone calls made from an apartment building. No way emergency responders have sufficient precision about where the call originated.)

Thank you GAX for the heads-up on this. I'd say I don't know how I missed it, but can answer my own question: Most local and national news outlets have reduced themselves to all politics all the time.
 

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