Done with so-called smart technology!

In the last 4 years, I've gone through 2 smart phones which certainly aren't cheap to replace - both of them were dropped and the glass shattered. Since I rarely use a phone except for the occasional text message, and its original purpose which is to make a call and actually speak with someone, I decided to ditch the smart phone and revert to a flip phone. Go ahead and laugh but it's practical, much cheaper, and way sturdier - it doesn't break if dropped!

Another reason I'm done with smart phones is the addiction so many people have to them. I could never understand the fascination of constantly being glued to these devices, and for what? To be on social media, watching stupid youtube videos, playing ridiculous games, or checking texts and email every freaking minute? No thanks, I have a personal computer for those kinds of things which I only use when absolutely necessary.

Also, I'm saying thanks but no thanks to other so-called smart devices like TVs, doorbells, cars, and whatever else. We as a society have become tech nerds to the point where we rely on robotics to do everything for us. Most of all, smart technology is not exactly safe because of the hackers. I realize a standard desktop computer on an internet cable line can be hacked too but the smart devices stand a greater chance of this because of the wireless technology.

These are just a few of the reasons why you won't catch me buried in a phone or those other worthless contraptions. I'm smarter than the so-called smart devices because I actually prefer human interaction and life in the real world!

I'm guessing you're over 50.

swing_voter said:

I'm guessing you're over 50.

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and if true, why is that an issue ...…………………..?

I pretty much agree with the OP. Way to many are wrapped up with the smart phone. They are a great device when used appropriately. No so much when they are not.

Indie guy said:

In the last 4 years, I've gone through 2 smart phones which certainly aren't cheap to replace - both of them were dropped and the glass shattered. Since I rarely use a phone except for the occasional text message, and its original purpose which is to make a call and actually speak with someone, I decided to ditch the smart phone and revert to a flip phone. Go ahead and laugh but it's practical, much cheaper, and way sturdier - it doesn't break if dropped!

Another reason I'm done with smart phones is the addiction so many people have to them. I could never understand the fascination of constantly being glued to these devices, and for what? To be on social media, watching stupid youtube videos, playing ridiculous games, or checking texts and email every freaking minute? No thanks, I have a personal computer for those kinds of things which I only use when absolutely necessary.

Also, I'm saying thanks but no thanks to other so-called smart devices like TVs, doorbells, cars, and whatever else. We as a society have become tech nerds to the point where we rely on robotics to do everything for us. Most of all, smart technology is not exactly safe because of the hackers. I realize a standard desktop computer on an internet cable line can be hacked too but the smart devices stand a greater chance of this because of the wireless technology.

These are just a few of the reasons why you won't catch me buried in a phone or those other worthless contraptions. I'm smarter than the so-called smart devices because I actually prefer human interaction and life in the real world!

Click to expand...

Last time I went to the city I was in a city bus stopped at a red light and saw a young man and woman at the window table in the coffee shop. They each had a tablet propped up in front of them and he was doing something on his phone. Having a coffee together.
I went the same route as you, back to a flip phone, and the phone is kept in the glove box. I don't know how to use that smart technology anyway and I'm too stubborn to learn it.

I held out on smartphones until last year... can't stand the ****ing things. I'm in front of a computer all day for my job, extra time for time wasted, and then computer games also make up part of my entertainment. The last thing I need when I step away is another damn computer in my face.

However, I got one because you will have to, as more and more things get transferred to phone (physical credit cards, concert tickets, etc).

Indie guy said:

In the last 4 years, I've gone through 2 smart phones which certainly aren't cheap to replace - both of them were dropped and the glass shattered. Since I rarely use a phone except for the occasional text message, and its original purpose which is to make a call and actually speak with someone, I decided to ditch the smart phone and revert to a flip phone. Go ahead and laugh but it's practical, much cheaper, and way sturdier - it doesn't break if dropped!

Another reason I'm done with smart phones is the addiction so many people have to them. I could never understand the fascination of constantly being glued to these devices, and for what? To be on social media, watching stupid youtube videos, playing ridiculous games, or checking texts and email every freaking minute? No thanks, I have a personal computer for those kinds of things which I only use when absolutely necessary.

Also, I'm saying thanks but no thanks to other so-called smart devices like TVs, doorbells, cars, and whatever else. We as a society have become tech nerds to the point where we rely on robotics to do everything for us. Most of all, smart technology is not exactly safe because of the hackers. I realize a standard desktop computer on an internet cable line can be hacked too but the smart devices stand a greater chance of this because of the wireless technology.

These are just a few of the reasons why you won't catch me buried in a phone or those other worthless contraptions. I'm smarter than the so-called smart devices because I actually prefer human interaction and life in the real world!

Click to expand...

I obsess over protecting my phones from drops.

swing_voter said:

I'm guessing you're over 50.

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I am way over 50; I can’t stand using only the phone for communicating, can’t see the screen

Mr Person said:

I held out on smartphones until last year... can't stand the ****ing things. I'm in front of a computer all day for my job, extra time for time wasted, and then computer games also make up part of my entertainment. The last thing I need when I step away is another damn computer in my face.

However, I got one because you will have to, as more and more things get transferred to phone (physical credit cards, concert tickets, etc).

Click to expand...

I have tried boarding passes and the express train from Heathrow into London proper, using the smartphone. I cannot get to the appropriate screen quickly enough where I don’t feel like a doofus......

Indie guy said:

In the last 4 years, I've gone through 2 smart phones which certainly aren't cheap to replace - both of them were dropped and the glass shattered. Since I rarely use a phone except for the occasional text message, and its original purpose which is to make a call and actually speak with someone, I decided to ditch the smart phone and revert to a flip phone. Go ahead and laugh but it's practical, much cheaper, and way sturdier - it doesn't break if dropped!

Another reason I'm done with smart phones is the addiction so many people have to them. I could never understand the fascination of constantly being glued to these devices, and for what? To be on social media, watching stupid youtube videos, playing ridiculous games, or checking texts and email every freaking minute? No thanks, I have a personal computer for those kinds of things which I only use when absolutely necessary.

Also, I'm saying thanks but no thanks to other so-called smart devices like TVs, doorbells, cars, and whatever else. We as a society have become tech nerds to the point where we rely on robotics to do everything for us. Most of all, smart technology is not exactly safe because of the hackers. I realize a standard desktop computer on an internet cable line can be hacked too but the smart devices stand a greater chance of this because of the wireless technology.

These are just a few of the reasons why you won't catch me buried in a phone or those other worthless contraptions. I'm smarter than the so-called smart devices because I actually prefer human interaction and life in the real world!

Click to expand...

I always buy the insurance. 2 in 4 years is nothing. I have gone through 2 in a single day. It comes in clusters. Once I break one, I will go through 3-5 in no time before I get one that sticks around a year or two (in my defense, maybe a third have them have just been lemons that just stopped working or charging soon after I got them). The guards help but if you drop them face down on a hard surface the screens still sometimes shatter. I have a bad habit also of putting them in my back pocket and then plopping down on them, cracking them that way.

I love my smartphone, wouldn't live without it. Ditto for my laptop.

But besides that, I highly value my privacy. So at this time, I really don't see the need for other internet connected devices beyond these two.

Grand Mal said:

Last time I went to the city I was in a city bus stopped at a red light and saw a young man and woman at the window table in the coffee shop. They each had a tablet propped up in front of them and he was doing something on his phone. Having a coffee together.
I went the same route as you, back to a flip phone, and the phone is kept in the glove box. I don't know how to use that smart technology anyway and I'm too stubborn to learn it.

Click to expand...

Alright! I now have the idea for a great app. SMOOCH. You run it on your phones, then reach over and touch each others' phones together, registering a 'smooch'! Think of the fun at parties! And at family gatherings! Think it will catch on?

swing_voter said:

I'm guessing you're over 50.

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I'm sixty-two!

1. I own a smart phone

2. I own several smart TV's and we're in the process of getting another one soon.

3. We also own TWO smart doorbells.

4. We also own an Alexa based Echo Show and two Echo portals. (These are fairly recent purchases)

5. We also own a smart lock for our door, it works with both the Ring and Alexa platform.

6. We also own a smart thermostat.

7. We also own a minivan which definitely has a ton of "smart" technology, so much so that this model is being used by Google as the default platform for their autonomous self driving vehicle technology, due to the fact that it already has much of the autonomous platform as an option.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I don't spend endless hours on the smart phone, I just love the fact that it has smart capabilities, so when I do need to access them, it's quite handy, but like the OP, I tend to stick with my desktop workstation for most instances. But it's great to have all that tech in my pocket if needed.
PS: If you drop things a lot, get a CASE for your phone!
I have a very nice case on mine.

The first gen smart doorbell was a wee bit clumsy, as is the case with almost all "version 1.0" tech, ahh well, the perils of being an early adopter.
The new 2.0 version, on the other hand, is excellent. No more bugs.
I just repurposed the old one for use internally for extra security, so it is no longer used as a doorbell, just as a motion activated network security camera.

The Alexa stuff isn't, in my humble opinion, quite mature yet, but so far, it's doing simple tasks fairly well.
Frankly if it hadn't been given to us by the VA, I might have considered waiting for the 2.0 version, but the fact that it operates the thermostat, interacts with the Ring doorbells, and can open and close the door lock, makes it extremely handy for my disabled wife.
If I were ever out of the house when a medical emergency arises, instead of emergency responders having to break down the front door, (probably about $1500 in damage - give or take a few $$) they can instead use our Knox Box or ask Karen to remotely open the door lock via the Echo Show, so that they can get in and take care of her, as she needs help getting in and out of bed and into her power wheelchair.
In any case, if it were a medical emergency, she might not be able to do much at all anyway, so these devices are potential lifesavers.

I figure the smart thermostat is self-explanatory, again very useful for Karen if she's not feeling well and is in bed.
The smart TV's? Well, forty years in the video production and post-production business have made me extremely picky and demanding when it comes to audio and video.
Like everyone else, I put up with the ghastly and horrible 1930's analog TV technology (NTSC) that had been the standard my entire life, so when, in 2009, the USA switched entirely to digital high definition TV for keeps, I was exhilarated.
I'd already been producing high definition content for cinema since around 2000, so it was a natural progression.

Finally, someday we will likely be able to install the back-end autonomous platform needed to convert Karen's wheelchair accessible minivan to full autonomous driving. For Karen, who spent about fifteen years driving her old van herself with hand controls, this will be a game changer that may very well restore a great deal of independence for her. I think she is perfectly capable of driving her new van herself, it too has the hand controls in the event she decides to finally get back behind the wheel, but she is apprehensive of driving the LA freeways.
Autonomous driving would eliminate that, a real boon to her.

So, you see, smart tech is entirely dependent on what you put into it and what you need it for, and as for security, I learned a long time ago how to protect ourselves.
In other words, it's small potatoes...for all their efforts, they might wind up with enough to buy a Starbucks and a few burgers. Wow.
I have a lot of friends who are experts, much smarter than I am. I've had them test everything.
They're the ones who have muttered "small potatoes".
I prefer to think of it as a salamander defense, in that a predator winds up with a tiny chunk of the tail, the salamander gets away and regrows the tail.

You guys need to rethink your view of how older people think.
The technology you're using right now, here on DP, the very hardware and software itself, originated from a bunch of stoned out Berkeley hippies in the 1960's.
Yeah, it's amusing when you Gen-Xers and Millennials blurt out "Okay Boomer" but the reality is, the Boomers are as diverse as you are.
So in reality, "Okay Boomer" is good for a mild chuckle the first couple of times, then it begins to sound like a knee-jerk reflex from someone who has no understanding of history.
We had to teach you kids how to use a SPOON. :lamo

swing_voter said:

I'm guessing you're over 50.

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I'm guessing you're well under 50, and a tech geek.

Mr Person said:

I held out on smartphones until last year... can't stand the ****ing things. I'm in front of a computer all day for my job, extra time for time wasted, and then computer games also make up part of my entertainment. The last thing I need when I step away is another damn computer in my face.

However, I got one because you will have to, as more and more things get transferred to phone (physical credit cards, concert tickets, etc).

Click to expand...

I've always disliked smart phones. Only reason I bought them is like you said, a lot of things are going in that direction. I figure I can always get around it for a while, but they're still not safe even with all the security we download and pay for. The crooks and hackers are always 1 step ahead of the game it seems.

What I hate more than the phones themselves are the idiots that are addicted to them and spend practically every waking minute of their lives glued to them. Obviously they don't have lives of their own, otherwise they'd put their phones away and pay attention to what's going on around them!

Grand Mal said:

Last time I went to the city I was in a city bus stopped at a red light and saw a young man and woman at the window table in the coffee shop. They each had a tablet propped up in front of them and he was doing something on his phone. Having a coffee together.
I went the same route as you, back to a flip phone, and the phone is kept in the glove box. I don't know how to use that smart technology anyway and I'm too stubborn to learn it.

Click to expand...

I refuse to have any interaction with anyone that can't look away from their stupid devices. But what does it matter? They don't want to have any interaction with anyone in the real world anyway - they just keep staring at their worthless screens at their texts, videos, or whatever else.

Chomsky said:

I love my smartphone, wouldn't live without it. Ditto for my laptop.

But besides that, I highly value my privacy. So at this time, I really don't see the need for other internet connected devices beyond these two.

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I figured you're in love with your phone judging by the amount of posts you have on this forum alone. You're exactly the kind of person I'm referring to, and that's not a compliment.

Checkerboard Strangler said:

I'm sixty-two!

1. I own a smart phone

2. I own several smart TV's and we're in the process of getting another one soon.

3. We also own TWO smart doorbells.

4. We also own an Alexa based Echo Show and two Echo portals. (These are fairly recent purchases)

5. We also own a smart lock for our door, it works with both the Ring and Alexa platform.

6. We also own a smart thermostat.

7. We also own a minivan which definitely has a ton of "smart" technology, so much so that this model is being used by Google as the default platform for their autonomous self driving vehicle technology, due to the fact that it already has much of the autonomous platform as an option.

Click to expand...

Fine, go ahead and waste your money on smart-this and smart-that. Good luck getting your life together if, god forbid, the system fails and your smart devices go down, becoming essentially worthless. Or if you're hacked, and chances are pretty high that you will be.

I refuse to buy anything from Apple, but I'm invested in their stock which is at an all-time high lately. I look at it this way - I'm saving money by jumping off of the so-called smart technology bandwagon, but I'm making money off suckers like you who spend probably half of your income buying and upgrading all your contraptions.

I'm 52 and have had several smart phones. Know how many were dropped and broken?

Zero.

My son has also had several and he is 20. How many has he dropped and broken?

Zero.

Some people are clumsy.

Airyaman said:

I'm 52 and have had several smart phones. Know how many were dropped and broken?

Zero.

My son has also had several and he is 20. How many has he dropped and broken?

Zero.

Some people are clumsy.

Click to expand...

Hey, life happens and things drop.

Yes I've dropped phones and had the glass shatter, so have many other people. When standard phones or flip phones drop, guess how many are broken? ZERO!

Smart phones supposedly have the latest, greatest technology but they're obviously manufactured like crap since they're soooo fragile and delicate. No thanks.

Indie guy said:

Hey, life happens and things drop.

Yes I've dropped phones and had the glass shatter, so have many other people. When standard phones or flip phones drop, guess how many are broken? ZERO!

Smart phones supposedly have the latest, greatest technology but they're obviously manufactured like crap since they're soooo fragile and delicate. No thanks.

Click to expand...

Hey, my mom is 75, she has a flip phone too. Try Consumer Cellular.

Indie guy said:

I figured you're in love with your phone judging by the amount of posts you have on this forum alone. You're exactly the kind of person I'm referring to, and that's not a compliment.

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Well whoop doop the effing doo! :doh

Nice job in stereotyping someone you don't know, as to how they live in real life. I in turn had earlier complimented you, by giving your OP a 'like'. Something I'm thinking I now may regret. But maybe I won't stereotype you, and instead give you a second chance instead of jumping to possible rash conclusions.

Airyaman said:

I'm 52 and have had several smart phones. Know how many were dropped and broken?

Zero.

My son has also had several and he is 20. How many has he dropped and broken?

Zero.

Some people are clumsy.

Click to expand...

I've had smart phones for quite a few years too, and never broke one either. I do buy good cases for them, and I believe that helped in the few inadvertent mishaps that occurred.

Chomsky said:

Well whoop doop the effing doo! :doh

Nice job in stereotyping someone you don't know, as to how they live in real life. I in turn had earlier complimented you, by giving your OP a 'like'. Something I'm thinking I now may regret. But maybe I won't stereotype you, and instead give you a second chance instead of jumping to possible rash conclusions.

Click to expand...

No offense but when I hear or read something along the lines of "I love my smart phone and can't live without it", I know exactly the kind of person that is because I see it all the time, and it's not good. Call it being stereotypical but I'm judging by what I see everywhere.

A few weeks ago I was driving on a street in my area and some stupid woman walks across the street staring at her phone in the middle of traffic, not in a crosswalk and obviously doesn't have the right of way, but there she was walking slowly and everyone had to slow down for her. Perfect example of the kind of people I'm talking about.

They're addicted to their phones and other tech devices, and as far as I'm concerned it's no better than being addicted to drugs or alcohol.

Chomsky said:

I've had smart phones for quite a few years too, and never broke one either. I do buy good cases for them, and I believe that helped in the few inadvertent mishaps that occurred.

Click to expand...

My son doesn't even use a case, he hates them for some reason. Most of my cases were cheapo ones from Amazon. We are simply not careless (or clumsy, it seems).

I am not over 50 and I think it's great to give up the smart phones. Some young people like that the flip phone is retro and think it's trendy. People are tired of constantly being plugged in. I can't say I'm ready to give mine up but I do applaud you for doing it.

Indie guy said:

No offense but when I hear or read something along the lines of "I love my smart phone and can't live without it", I know exactly the kind of person that is because I see it all the time, and it's not good. Call it being stereotypical but I'm judging by what I see everywhere.

A few weeks ago I was driving on a street in my area and some stupid woman walks across the street staring at her phone in the middle of traffic, not in a crosswalk and obviously doesn't have the right of way, but there she was walking slowly and everyone had to slow down for her. Perfect example of the kind of people I'm talking about.

They're addicted to their phones and other tech devices, and as far as I'm concerned it's no better than being addicted to drugs or alcohol.

Click to expand...

I have a smart phone that I vastly underutilized the capabilities of. I use it to search for information, and also the GPS. There are occupations I use the social media to communicate with someone, but in general, I have those apps not activated.


The GPS has been very useful.

Indie guy said:

Fine, go ahead and waste your money on smart-this and smart-that. Good luck getting your life together if, god forbid, the system fails and your smart devices go down, becoming essentially worthless. Or if you're hacked, and chances are pretty high that you will be.

I refuse to buy anything from Apple, but I'm invested in their stock which is at an all-time high lately. I look at it this way - I'm saving money by jumping off of the so-called smart technology bandwagon, but I'm making money off suckers like you who spend probably half of your income buying and upgrading all your contraptions.

Click to expand...

It's clear that you didn't actually read my post carefully, because I made mention of the fact that for us, this is potentially lifesaving technology, and certainly money-saving, if you understand what replacing a broken down security door costs.
If it prevents fire and EMS from having to break down the door even one time, it pays for itself.

And while you're certainly welcome to nurture doomer/prepper theories about the system going down, during the 99.99999999999999% of the time when it's operational, it's adding security and safety to our home, and to my disabled wife.

Have not been hacked, ever...not ever, not even once.