Excessive phone use, very annoying.

[LudaMusser]

I think the smart phone is good for certain things i.e I can check the weather in seconds but the art of conversation has well and truly been lost. I was in a restaurant with my wife and another couple a few weeks ago. Near the end of our meal a family of four sat down next to us, after about five minutes I looked over and all four were sitting in silence on their phones. I despair. Is the point of going out for a meal as a family not to talk to each other over some nice food?

At work there are certain ppl who are on their phone the second they're away from their desk. They'll walk from their desk to the canteen and not look up to where the're going once, I joke that it's a sat nav. I often go into the changing rooms at work and it will be deadly silent, I'll get round the corner and they'll be four, six or maybe eight Techs sat there all sitting in silence gawping at their phones

I think that most of the time ppl are on their phones through boredom

[Xaero]

Almost thought the OP was one of my new colleagues. 2 guys started, 21 year old and 35 year old. The 35 year old was always on his phone and seemed to be very comfortable doing so. We are quite lax about phone use, but for a new starter to spend as much time on one as he did, it took the piss. Even during 1 on 1 training he was looking at it, and then when asked to perform the tasks just taught he couldn't do them and asked to be shown again.

Lasted about 7 weeks and was sacked. Not just for phone usage but poor workmanship in general. I hope he's learnt and won't do it in his next position.

[ciege]

I found this very powerful, whole series below:

https://www.boredpanda.com/screens-stealing-soul-s...

[Coolbanana]

I use my mobile a lot. Amazing device.

One of my businesses is a Brokerage, the other a 'Booking.com' style holiday home rental portal. In both cases, I can see live commission coming in and watching that is very addictive; but also part of the job, making sure everything is running smoothly in each respective back-office as well as responding to emails and messages that come my way.

As such, I have my mobile with me all the time: I've just been swimming, I was checking what was happening from the pool given my websites operate 24/7.

This morning I was walking my dog along the beach - I had my phone with me taking pictures. I get WhatsApp messages all day long from my Family and Friends who all reside in different countries and time zones. It's a great way to keep in touch; short messages, photo's etc.

I also catch up on World events from my mobile; I use several News media sources.

My home automation is controlled via my mobile; Hue lighting, Sonos audio, my electric shutters, curtains, alarm - even my robot pool cleaner, garden mower and vacuum cleaner!

I travel every month and so watch TV shows and movies on planes. My mobile has my music library on it.

So yeah, my mobile does an awful lot for me and therefore I am hardly ever without it and I spend a good part of each day using it. No regrets, it is a tool that has made me more mobile and allowed me to work and socialise with people not near me from anywhere. Brilliant!

[theboss]

Coolbanana said:

I use my mobile a lot. Amazing device.

One of my businesses is a Brokerage, the other a 'Booking.com' style holiday home rental portal. In both cases, I can see live commission coming in and watching that is very addictive; but also part of the job, making sure everything is running smoothly in each respective back-office as well as responding to emails and messages that come my way.

As such, I have my mobile with me all the time: I've just been swimming, I was checking what was happening from the pool given my websites operate 24/7.

This morning I was walking my dog along the beach - I had my phone with me taking pictures. I get WhatsApp messages all day long from my Family and Friends who all reside in different countries and time zones. It's a great way to keep in touch; short messages, photo's etc.

I also catch up on World events from my mobile; I use several News media sources.

My home automation is controlled via my mobile; Hue lighting, Sonos audio, my electric shutters, curtains, alarm - even my robot pool cleaner, garden mower and vacuum cleaner!

I travel every month and so watch TV shows and movies on planes. My mobile has my music library on it.

So yeah, my mobile does an awful lot for me and therefore I am hardly ever without it and I spend a good part of each day using it. No regrets, it is a tool that has made me more mobile and allowed me to work and socialise with people not near me from anywhere. Brilliant!

I’m similar. I think there’s an automatic assumption that excessive phone = social media wastrel. I might be reading an orchestral score or a book on nuclear physics for all any onlooker knows about me. Nobody seemed to care when we all sat on trains flicking broadsheets in each other’s faces or listening to a cassette playing on a Walkman. The amount of information and media now available at our fingertips is just mind blowing. Why would anyone with half a brain sit there gawking out of the window when they could be absorbed in something deeply engaging.

[DoubleD]

ciege said:

I found this very powerful, whole series below:

https://www.boredpanda.com/screens-stealing-soul-s...

Maybe they are sitting down for a 5 minute break, maybe they are texting friends to tell them about how wonderful the gallery is. They have tried to make some sort of point with this image, but in my opinion have failed.

[nonsequitur]

DoubleD said:

ciege said:

I found this very powerful, whole series below:

https://www.boredpanda.com/screens-stealing-soul-s...

Maybe they are sitting down for a 5 minute break, maybe they are texting friends to tell them about how wonderful the gallery is. They have tried to make some sort of point with this image, but in my opinion have failed.

.
I would say it is symbolic of modern society and not a reflection of what those people are watching / phoning / texting / apping / cannot go two minutes without checking.

[gothatway]

theboss said:

Coolbanana said:

I use my mobile a lot.

I’m similar.

Good for you. If you're in the actual physical company of someone else - whether it be family, friends, colleagues - who gets priority for your attention ? Honestly ?
What about if you go to the theatre or a concert - do you continue to pay so much attention to your phone?

[DoubleD]

nonsequitur said:

DoubleD said:

ciege said:

I found this very powerful, whole series below:

https://www.boredpanda.com/screens-stealing-soul-s...

Maybe they are sitting down for a 5 minute break, maybe they are texting friends to tell them about how wonderful the gallery is. They have tried to make some sort of point with this image, but in my opinion have failed.

.
I would say it is symbolic of modern society and not a reflection of what those people are watching / phoning / texting / apping / cannot go two minutes without checking.

Well its not affecting you so no need to worry

[Jasandjules]

I've been in court before when a phone had a text come in.

We ALL check and double check our phones...The judge is staring quite evilly at us all.. Another text bings... Again, we all check our phones whilst the judge stares at us and we know someone is going to be in deep s**t...... Then a third "ding" and the judge suddenly says "Oh I am terribly sorry it is mine"...........

[caelite]

Hehe, I get the opposite criticism. I'm a delivery driver so I am always out and about, literally the only time I pick up my phone is too disable the damn 'loud music can damage your hearing' popup and turn the volume of my tunes back up.

However this supposedly makes me absolutely impossible to contact during my shift, which I am told is a bad thing, apparently delivery drivers are supposed to be glued to their phones well working, just in case dispatch needs them for a query.

Say, if any of you are still looking for a 20 something industry placement I'm finishing my HND in mech eng this year, my email is on my profile.

[nonsequitur]

DoubleD said:

nonsequitur said:

DoubleD said:

ciege said:

I found this very powerful, whole series below:

https://www.boredpanda.com/screens-stealing-soul-s...

Maybe they are sitting down for a 5 minute break, maybe they are texting friends to tell them about how wonderful the gallery is. They have tried to make some sort of point with this image, but in my opinion have failed.

.
I would say it is symbolic of modern society and not a reflection of what those people are watching / phoning / texting / apping / cannot go two minutes without checking.

Well its not affecting you so no need to worry

Most of PH is based on posters commenting on matters that don't affect them. This does not mean that one cannot have an opinion / comment.

[Teddy Lop]

theboss said:

I’m similar. I think there’s an automatic assumption that excessive phone = social media wastrel. I might be reading an orchestral score or a book on nuclear physics for all any onlooker knows about me. Nobody seemed to care when we all sat on trains flicking broadsheets in each other’s faces or listening to a cassette playing on a Walkman. The amount of information and media now available at our fingertips is just mind blowing. Why would anyone with half a brain sit there gawking out of the window when they could be absorbed in something deeply engaging.

you've got the complete wrong end of the stick though, people ignoring each other and their environment and jobs probably aren't reading orchestral scores or nuclear physics (and even if they were - so what?)

me & mrs lop have a no phones rule when we're out together, and have for years, ever since the modern smartphone/social media became a thing.

[nonsequitur]

I was alerted to the downside of mobile phones early on when a phone rang during the eulogy at my wife's aunt's funeral. More recently, at another funeral, a mourner was checking his phone as we waited for the funeral procession to enter the crematorium.
Are there no boundaries of stupidity to these modern technological menaces?
Sadly, it will get worse before it gets better before phone users will realise that use of devices in inappropriate places does really antagonise other people.

[MG CHRIS]

In my work main dealer workshop its the opposite way round when working on vehicles very few people are on their phones and being full of blokes it can be a very noisy environment during lunch in the canteen its a time of quiet where most people are on their phones.
So in my case phone/social media is a use too have a bit of quiet time in a very hectic busy environment. I will say during the evening I will leave my phone upstairs and ignore it and if anybody needs me can catch up in the morning or a quick look before going too sleep.

So for me its too detach myself from a busy day and or extremely noisy people which for me being on the introverted side find a blessing.

[Undercover Agent]

daddy cool said:

randomeddy said:

What did people do before smart phones became commonplace.

I think people just looked around at stuff.

Porn mags.

[lyonspride]

21TonyK said:

I had to impose a "no phone" policy at work. Like the OPs position one person always on their phone at the annoyance of everyone else. If they have a sick kid at home or something like that then fair enough they keep the phone on them but thats it. Phones stay in the staff room and can be checked whenever they want but they have to physically leave where they are working to do so which is obvious the everyone, especially me.

Why not just tackle the problem people instead of pissing off the entire workforce?

This pussyfoot wishy washy way of doing things, is just like taking your best people and slapping them in the face constantly whilst shouting "WE DON'T TRUST YOU".

Not to mention this BS of using H&S as an excuse for everything, because people who know their stuff are going see right through it and again it's like being slapped in the face repeatedly, only this time it's "WE DON'T TRUST YOU AND WE THINK YOU ARE TOO STUPID TO SEE WHAT WE'RE REALLY DOING".

People who messed about, who take the piss, should be punished, not the entire god damn workforce. If a manager isn't strong enough to deal with matters like this one on one, then that manager should be sacked.

I had no issue at all stopping 2 apprentices using their phones, taking long breaks etc etc. I spoke to them, I told them "look, I don't give a damn as long as the work gets done at the end of the week, but if the owner see's you OR your work isn't up to scratch, your going to get f**ked up the arse by a proverbial rhino, and there is nothing I can do about it".
They found it funny, but they got their sh*t together pretty damn fast after that.

Edited by lyonspride on Wednesday 3rd October 11:22

[johnwilliams77]

What a strange way of engaging people. Bordering on bullying depending on the position and tone. There are ways of saying things to people without being an absolute knobber.

[Flibble]

lyonspride said:

21TonyK said:

I had to impose a "no phone" policy at work. Like the OPs position one person always on their phone at the annoyance of everyone else. If they have a sick kid at home or something like that then fair enough they keep the phone on them but thats it. Phones stay in the staff room and can be checked whenever they want but they have to physically leave where they are working to do so which is obvious the everyone, especially me.

Why not just tackle the problem people instead of pissing off the entire workforce?

This pussyfoot wishy washy way of doing things, is just like taking your best people and slapping them in the face constantly whilst shouting "WE DON'T TRUST YOU".

Not to mention this BS of using H&S as an excuse for everything, because people who know their stuff are going see right through it and again it's like being slapped in the face repeatedly, only this time it's "WE DON'T TRUST YOU AND WE THINK YOU ARE TOO STUPID TO SEE WHAT WE'RE REALLY DOING".

Agreed. Seen it before, things are gradually locked down and restricted because of a few clowns. All that happens is the good people leave because they have other options than putting up with a load of BS and the clowns stay. It's building a culture of mediocre employees who can't be trusted.

[Hoofy]

I was wondering - how do you deal with someone who is always on Pistonheads?