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Thread: Are smartphones the problem, or Social Media?

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    Default Are smartphones the problem, or Social Media?

    I obviously think it's social media (that's why I've never been a part of facebook, twitter, flicker, instagram, etc etc etc...)

    Great video, don't enable your self with thoughts like "oh it's how I keep in touch with friends"; you are probably causing yourself psychological damage in a subtle hard-to-notice way.




    Some people are making steps in this area, and trying to find an alternative that isn't self-harming.
    Last edited by TargeT; 3rd April 2018 at 18:26.
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    Default Re: Are smartphones the problem, or Social Media?

    Whenever I even hear the words "selfies" , "twitter", "snapchat", "facebook" etc, I begin to wonder if the so called illuminati have a point with this depopulation agenda.

    If I were indulging my inner Hitler, I'd begin with the millennials. Sorry millennials (no i'm not). There are exceptions of course, but generally speaking they are the most profoundly annoying group of people to have ever walked the planet as far as I can tell.

    In fairness, if my parents generation had smart phones and social media, they likely would have been equally as annoying. Ditto my generation..or any generation for that matter (if a cartoonist/satirist hasn't already done so, a cartoon pic depicting civil war soldiers running into battle with their heads in their phones must be drawn..a sort of "what if they had smart phones back then" sorta theme)

    I actually feel something like embarrassment to be a citizen of the earth at the moment. Call me a snob if ya like. Maybe i am. But I can't escape this sense of disappointment and shame.
    Last edited by Mike; 3rd April 2018 at 21:32.

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    Default Re: Are smartphones the problem, or Social Media?

    if my recent read sources are correct there's an epidemic among young Koreans who are becoming short-sighted due to SmartPhones (reportedly a Korean invention); according to source (can't remember souce anymore; I don't document this; I just read it and to a certain extent keep it in my pea brain)-

    but I can testify to my former Korean co-worker who seemed to be obsessed/hypnotized by his SmartPhone; it seemed to be his entire world; he had no social skills whatsoever; a very handsome man but no girlfriend whatsoever (and no, he wasn't gay); the other Koreans in my work place seemed to politely stay clear of him; the Koreans in my work group, and they are truly sweet people, are tightly knit due obviosly to language but they seemed to politely avoid him)-

    anyway, he jumped ship: left Germany going back to Korea by breaking his work contract under obviously false pretenses (not grounds for extradition) and went back to Korea obviosly enjoying his SmartPhone more;

    whenever he would show me something on his SmartPhone it was just complete "s**t; there was nothing of value there; but he continued to constantly photograph me (!!!)- again, nothing of value there (who, ME??!!)- he showed me the photos of me: comple s**t-

    Larry

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    Default Re: Are smartphones the problem, or Social Media?

    Greetings All,

    Facebook has been included with the standard bloatware on the past two updates for Android.

    I deactivated my facebook, but it continued to collect info.

    I called verizon again today and asked them to delete the Facebook app from my phone as my contract has long expired so didn't need them as a carrier.

    I have force stopped and deactivated the app only to have it restart and collect info. I can see it is being collected on internal storage. I have not set a pin for my sim card, but I'm required to enter a 3 digit pin to change it.

    Should my next stop be the FCC?

    Needless to say I won't have a smartphone much longer.

    Hope this helps ... J
    “To develop a complete mind: Study the art of science; study the science of art. Learn how to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else” – Leonardo Da Vinci

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    Default Re: Are smartphones the problem, or Social Media?

    This made me think. Thanks Target.

    I did an accounting of my frequented sites and there are only five: MSN, CBC, Drudge, Alex Jones, Avalon. There used to be a few more but I deleted them from my favorites so it's more difficult to get to like Facebook, ToT, Camelot, Richard Hall.

    Other than that I use Gaia and Netflix for background filler while I'm musing or doing stuff.

    That's the extent of my internet usage other than specific hunts or queries for google. Sometimes I correspond by email.

    Same for the smartphone. I text a bit with a few friends. I take a few pictures mostly for work or of grandbaby.

    It seems the social elite form a class that has pretty much steered the media ever since its inception. The rest scramble for crumbs of recognition. Even in families it seems there are a few who dominate with the food pics and baby pics and selfies of tripe. Nothing else gets shared. Sometimes there might be something of value from the larger circle but that's it. And the automatic "news" feeds drive me crazy - that's why I stopped going to Facebook.
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    Default Re: Are smartphones the problem, or Social Media?

    It's both really, the phones and the SM sites.

    Think about it--that thing is like carrying Big Brother in your pocket. Know where they are? Check. Know what they're thinking about? Check. Know what they'll be doing? Check. Know their associations? Check. It's un-be-freakin'-lievable!! Paging Papa Orwell?

    The whole thing plays into our deep fears and insecurities and need for reassurance. An electronic security blanket. I thought the "internet" itself was very addictive until I saw what was happening (mostly) with kids and twenty somethings and the phones. They know all these things, they know how we'll (most of us) react before we react. Their psychologists went to all the best schools Trust me -- I read about them online.
    Last edited by Caliban; 3rd April 2018 at 23:28.

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    Default Re: Are smartphones the problem, or Social Media?

    For some reason I can't help but to hear some of the words of "Frank Borman" investigator Apollo 1.

    He said something about not knowing they had a bomb with the capsule 100% full of oxygen.

    What's really in a smart phone?

    And the conspiracy analyst comes out in me LOL

    I've seen the explosive power of a battery ...


    "The cabin was pressurized with 16.7 pounds per square inch (psi) of 100 percent oxygen, a pressure slightly greater than one atmosphere. With everything just as it would be on February 21, the crew went through a full simulation of countdown and launch."

    Link: https://blogs.scientificamerican.com...-shocked-nasa/
    Last edited by justntime2learn; 3rd April 2018 at 23:40. Reason: Added link
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    Default Re: Are smartphones the problem, or Social Media?

    Okay, my take is that smartphones are the problem. Walking around in lower Manhattan yesterday was an eye-opening and dismaying experience. But I'm sure it's the same in any big city.

    Ninety percent of people I passed on the streets had their phones solidly gripped in their hands. I'd say about half of those people--as we passed or I glanced over at them--were looking at or toying with their phones. This includes people in restaurants and cafes and people hanging out with others. This includes people of all age groups, mostly in the 20-60 range.

    If they're doing that in public, what do they do in private? Cling to them, I could only assume. Here on Avalon we talk a lot about spiritual awakening and evolution but how can that happen (for a majority) if people are totally emotionally dependent on that thing in their hands. There is a serious problem out there that hardly anyone is talking about. People have changed and not for the better. It's the people first -- then it's the phones.

    Added in Edit: I want to add that yesterday was pretty much the first day of spring here and so many people were out, the streets were flooded with them. I had a mix of feelings, a bit of sunshine bliss and a kind of strange foreboding, like: nobody notices what's happened, as if suddenly we all were made to wield and stare at these little gadgets in our hands. I went into a bar and half the place was looking down at the things. I made a joke about it to a couple of them and they got angry! People do not want their phone-obsessions pointed out them. No, no.
    Last edited by Caliban; 15th April 2018 at 19:07.

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    Default Re: Are smartphones the problem, or Social Media?

    Mike, I have to say, I've had similar feelings. I say, "I can hardly believe I agreed to come to this planet!"

    But everything is by choice at some level, and we are here to serve a purpose.

    We teach by example. The more people NOT on social media and Smart Phones, the more will follow their example.

    I tell people this truth: "Although I earned a master's degree in technology and taught in middle school, high school, and college, I don't do Facebook or any social media, I don't text, and my iPhone is retired...there is no phone service." And, I lived in a cabin in the woods with no cell service or Internet for over 3 years. I don't do apps or cloud stuff, either.

    Others have told me they are reversing the trend, too. Reverse trends have begun, and the FaceBook revelations are receiving much attention which is increasing this trend towards reversal.

    When I'm with people, I give them my attention. I engage in conversation. Some people still have their phones out and in hand, but when I was on my trip visiting, mostly we just engaged with each other...walks and talks.

    Yes, justintimetoLearn, let's contact the FCC!

    I used to have a FaceBook account, too. First, I just quit using it. Then, I deleted it. I'm sure that doesn't matter to them.

    This is a good topic to discuss and rally around solutions. Thanks, TargeT.

    MM
    Last edited by Michelle Marie; 15th April 2018 at 18:47.
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    Default Re: Are smartphones the problem, or Social Media?

    Forums are as close as I come to social media and forums are bad enough.

    I was also on Twitter for a while though and it was addictive. Twitter is a mad house. Anything conservative is shadow-banned and they throttle conservative accounts by unfollowing people via algorithms. I was following Richard Nixon (a parody account of course, mostly a bunch of jokes) and I had to re-follow him multiple times because Twitter kept automatically unfollowing me from him. It's like what a communist society would look like if it came to the US.


    How about this:

    Smart phones hurt physical health.

    Social media hurts psychological health.
    Last edited by A Voice from the Mountains; 15th April 2018 at 19:42.

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    Default Re: Are smartphones the problem, or Social Media?

    Quote Posted by A Voice from the Mountains (here)
    Forums are as close as I come to social media and forums are bad enough.

    I was also on Twitter for a while though and it was addictive. Twitter is a mad house. Anything conservative is shadow-banned and they throttle conservative accounts by unfollowing people via algorithms. I was following Richard Nixon (a parody account of course, mostly a bunch of jokes) and I had to re-follow him multiple times because Twitter kept automatically unfollowing me from him. It's like what a communist society would look like if it came to the US.


    How about this:

    Smart phones hurt physical health.

    Social media hurts psychological health.
    Great clarification, Voice !


    MM
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    Default Re: Are smartphones the problem, or Social Media?

    Quote Posted by justntime2learn (here)
    Greetings All,

    Facebook has been included with the standard bloatware on the past two updates for Android.
    it's your phone, root it and delete the app.


    Or hell, completely wipe and reload JUST android on your phone (not the carrier/Samsung pre0-loaded crap).


    It's a good tool, but you have to make sure it's YOUR tool, not surveillance for some company.



    Quote Posted by Caliban (here)
    Okay, my take is that smartphones are the problem. Walking around in lower Manhattan yesterday was an eye-opening and dismaying experience. But I'm sure it's the same in any big city.

    Ninety percent of people I passed on the streets had their phones solidly gripped in their hands.
    Did you, by chance, get a feel for what most of them were doing on their phones?

    I don't know, but I'd guess (based on the few screens I do see) that 60-80% of the people I see with their phones in their faces are doing something social media related.. either taking a "selfie" (super common, especially with the Double X persuasion) or posting about how awesome their life is, or reading about how awesome other person's life is, or talking **** in the comments section of a post etc...

    Of course, I also live in a "vacation" area, but even then, the pictures are going strait to facebook, not just sitting on the camera.

    I'm on my phone a lot, but it's because I have about 300 books on it & I read to kill time; but I also make it a point not to be on my phone when I'm with friends and family just like I make it a point not to drink while at work... some modicum of self control is needed in life; is that the real problem here?



    Quote Posted by Michelle Marie (here)
    We teach by example. The more people NOT on social media and Smart Phones, the more will follow their example.
    I think that's a part of it, but it sure is hard to compete with the over-the-top social validation that comes from the "white" lies users tell each other on facebook.


    Quote Posted by Michelle Marie (here)
    When I'm with people, I give them my attention. I engage in conversation. Some people still have their phones out and in hand, but when I was on my trip visiting, mostly we just engaged with each other...walks and talks.
    I think "being the example" is important, but I also think we need to bring back a bit of social shame, I think we need to let people know it's pretty rude when they "dive into their phone" in front of you for no apparent reason.





    Quote Posted by A Voice from the Mountains (here)
    Smart phones hurt physical health.

    Social media hurts psychological health.
    well, one has peer reviewed papers and studies that are pretty conclusive, the other I'd say is potentially true, but it lacks the "proof", as it were.


    Quote Posted by A Voice from the Mountains (here)
    Forums are as close as I come to social media and forums are bad enough.
    Haha, good point, we even have the useless "validation" feed backs on this forum software.....
    Last edited by TargeT; 16th April 2018 at 17:07.
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    Default Re: Are smartphones the problem, or Social Media?

    Just plain "manners" & being polite to each other! What are children being taught at home? What is "permitted" in the social environment? We each have our own sphere of influence!

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    Default Re: Are smartphones the problem, or Social Media?

    Quote Posted by TargeT (here)
    Quote Posted by A Voice from the Mountains (here)
    Smart phones hurt physical health.

    Social media hurts psychological health.
    well, one has peer reviewed papers and studies that are pretty conclusive, the other I'd say is potentially true, but it lacks the "proof", as it were.
    Not sure which you mean, but I've seen studies for both, plus one of the developers of Facebook admitted that they developed it intentionally to play off of peoples' hormones/instant gratification.

    Quote Facebook use linked to depressive symptoms

    Date:
    April 6, 2015
    Source:
    University of Houston
    Summary:
    The social media site, Facebook, can be an effective tool for connecting with new and old friends. However, some users may find themselves spending quite a bit of time viewing Facebook and may inevitably begin comparing what's happening in their lives to the activities and accomplishments of their friends.
    https://www.sciencedaily.com/release...0406144600.htm



    Quote Facebook Admits Social Media Can Harm Mental Health

    Facebook has released new research suggesting social media can harm mental health when used in certain ways.

    The research is discussed in an online report titled “Hard Questions: Is Spending Time on Social Media Bad for Us?”

    Facebook’s director of research, David Ginsberg, wrote the report along with social psychologist Moira Burke. The two cooperated with psychology and sociology experts and mental health professionals. Several studies were used to support the findings.
    https://learningenglish.voanews.com/...h/4171735.html



    Quote Hold the phone, Central! Cellphone radiation can cause cancer: study

    The scientists were right — your cell phone can give you cancer.

    There have long been whispers of a cancer connection from your cell — and a new study backs up the claims.

    "These data are a clear sign of the real risks this kind of radiation poses for human health," study author Igor Yakymenko said.

    Yakymenko’s meta-study — basically a study of hundreds of other studies — reveals many findings of previous researchers into how radiofrequency from your phone can damage DNA.
    http://www.nydailynews.com/life-styl...icle-1.2308509


    I've seen videos of what EM radiation does to cell structures, and it basically annihilates them. It completely rips apart the DNA within the nucleus of the cell and everything. Of course we have billions of cells and they are reproducing constantly, so it's not quite as permanently bad as this makes it sound, but it's still pretty bad.

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    Default Re: Are smartphones the problem, or Social Media?

    Quote Posted by A Voice from the Mountains (here)
    I've seen videos of what EM radiation does to cell structures, and it basically annihilates them. It completely rips apart the DNA within the nucleus of the cell and everything. Of course we have billions of cells and they are reproducing constantly, so it's not quite as permanently bad as this makes it sound, but it's still pretty bad.
    Well I guess I'm biased on that one, we are bombarded with EM of all kinds of frequencies both natural and "artificial" all the time, UV radiation from the Sun is far worse on all counts when it comes to exposure and cancer.

    I think the single digit results of cell phone <--> cancer studies produce are so close to error-of-margine that they are negligible (I also think the "controls" are not strong enough, given how many variables there are to effect health).

    I'm just guessing this is the case, I couldn't get to the study linked in the article.. (kind of important imo).

    Conversely: I think it's extremely clear that social media has hugely impacted society and I have trouble seeing how the few "positives" are worth the pile of negatives.

    the rampant narcissism that is expressed in the "selfie" is just an ingredient in the millennial pie.
    Last edited by TargeT; 16th April 2018 at 20:30.
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    Default Re: Are smartphones the problem, or Social Media?

    Quote Posted by TargeT (here)
    Well I guess I'm biased on that one, we are bombarded with EM of all kinds of frequencies both natural and "artificial" all the time, UV radiation from the Sun is far worse on all counts when it comes to exposure and cancer.
    It depends on the frequency. I'm sure you wouldn't want to be standing in microwaves all day. Cell phones operate at least partially on the microwave band, the same frequency range that cooks your chicken in your microwave oven.

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    Default Re: Are smartphones the problem, or Social Media?

    Quote Posted by A Voice from the Mountains (here)
    It depends on the frequency. I'm sure you wouldn't want to be standing in microwaves all day. Cell phones operate at least partially on the microwave band, the same frequency range that cooks your chicken in your microwave oven.
    I'd say frequency is far less important than transmission power, though it is important.

    I've worked in IT full time and Radio's part time for around 18 years for the military, this is kind of my area of expertise.

    I can tell you that comparing a cellphone to a microwave is a bit misleading, yes they both function on the 4.xGhz frequency but the power out put is VASTLY different; plus there's a very important law in physics that is being completely ignored when it comes to energy radiation & distance from source; the power drop is extreme even on small transmitters like a cellphone.

    An average modern microwave will use around 1200 watts.

    An average cellphone wattage is about 0.76W at 3G (not sure on 4g).

    so it's over 1200x less power, pretty significant when you are comparing the two.

    I'd rather focus on the studies (which I've mentioned are very lacking), than use examples like that.
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    Default Re: Are smartphones the problem, or Social Media?

    Of course the power is different or we'd be dead after a single phone call, but that would be too obvious to be effective too, if one were paranoid enough to assume that the health risks are intentionally designed.

    I think of these things as intended to be more of a slow-roll of a depopulation/dumbing down agenda, where you can't boil the frog too quickly. But we can agree to disagree I suppose. There are plenty of studies out there already though that show an elevated risk of cancerous growth from cell phone use. There are many studies saying the opposite too, but there are also studies showing that most medical research is nonsense to begin with because of the vested interests who are behind the studies in the first place.

  33. Link to Post #19
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    Default Re: Are smartphones the problem, or Social Media?

    Quote Posted by A Voice from the Mountains (here)
    I think of these things as intended to be more of a slow-roll of a depopulation/dumbing down agenda, where you can't boil the frog too quickly.
    I think its worse than that and the health "risks" (I still haven't read a single good study on it, have you? I like to go to the sources studies and read, not the editorials that are biased,er based on the sources. (but yes, even studies can be slanted.. but not when the proper controls are in place; it's hard to fudge those unless your strait falsifying data)) are just a distraction due to the lack (IMO) of evidence.

    I think the microchip we were all paranoid about has been re-branded and is now the cellphone... and we (just like Orwell said) are asking for every restriction it puts on us.... we carry around a surveillance package that would make a spy wet his pants (20 years ago).

    Besides, the theory of hormesis shows us that cellphone exposure is GOOD for you; and I follow that theory religiously (except with alcohol, pretty sure my exposure is above hormesis recommended levels).
    Last edited by TargeT; 16th April 2018 at 22:02.
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    Default Re: Are smartphones the problem, or Social Media?

    Quote Posted by TargeT (here)

    Quote Posted by Caliban (here)
    Okay, my take is that smartphones are the problem. Walking around in lower Manhattan yesterday was an eye-opening and dismaying experience. But I'm sure it's the same in any big city.

    Ninety percent of people I passed on the streets had their phones solidly gripped in their hands.
    Did you, by chance, get a feel for what most of them were doing on their phones?

    I don't know, but I'd guess (based on the few screens I do see) that 60-80% of the people I see with their phones in their faces are doing something social media related.. either taking a "selfie" (super common, especially with the Double X persuasion) or posting about how awesome their life is, or reading about how awesome other person's life is, or talking **** in the comments section of a post etc...

    Of course, I also live in a "vacation" area, but even then, the pictures are going strait to facebook, not just sitting on the camera.

    I'm on my phone a lot, but it's because I have about 300 books on it & I read to kill time; but I also make it a point not to be on my phone when I'm with friends and family just like I make it a point not to drink while at work... some modicum of self control is needed in life; is that the real problem here?
    TargeT, most of these people are just obsessed/addicted/umbilically connected and need to keep touching, glancing, grabbing, looking, grasping, etc... at this BLACK OBJECT in their hands. Mama's breast, Dada's blanket, you name it. People have lost the ability to be, to simply be, in public and private too. You used to catch people's eyes on the street, nod to a pretty girl, say hi to a brother, there was contact, some kind of contact... The black object, everyone's little private 2001 space odyssey obelisk--lets you stay in your private universe. We've become a people hiding from each other, hence hiding from ourselves.

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