Are cellphones ruining us? | Podcast E13
Vložit
- čas přidán 12. 05. 2024
- We Were Told We Should Do A Podcast - Episode 13
Off the back of our chat regarding Burnout last week, it got us thinking - are cellphones ruining us? As you read (and probably listen to this) on your cellphone, we reminisce our personal memories of the evolution of cellphones, how they influence us today and where they might go in the future.
Listen to episodes 1-19 wherever you get your podcasts! New episodes drop every Tuesday 10pm NZT / 1am PT.
Search 'Viva La Dirt League D&D' wherever you get your podcasts, for our D&D games in podcast form!
PODCAST LINKS - linktr.ee/weweretoldpodcast
SPOTIFY - open.spotify.com/show/50ccN9l...
APPLE - podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast...
TIKTOK - / weweretoldpodcast
INSTA - / weweretoldpodcast
SUPPORT US ON PATREON - bit.ly/36Hg7ZY
ALL SOCIALS - linktr.ee/vldl
TWITCH - / vldl
MERCH - vldl.shop
SONGS - bit.ly/2OBeB4O
SERIES PLAYLISTS
Epic NPC Man: bit.ly/NPCman
Bored: bit.ly/VLDLbored
PUBG Logic: bit.ly/PUBGlogic
FPS Logic: bit.ly/FPSlogic
Souls Logic: bit.ly/Soulslogic
Music Videos: bit.ly/VLDLmusicvids
Wildcards: bit.ly/VLDLwildcard - Hry
As a teacher, cellphones are the bane of my existence.
I still remember the first time I encountered one: it was in the early 90s, one of my first years as a teacher, and a student took out a MASSIVE cellphone (you know, one of those brick ones) because it was ringing, and the dude actually answered the call. As soon as he realized that everyone in the classroom, especially me, was just looking at him, gobsmacked, he said to his convo partner "I gotta go, I think my teacher wants to continue the lesson".
Things have not gotten better since then.
Whoa, that's like something outta a movie
😱😅😅😅😅😅😅😅
Was his name Zack Morris?
And then everyone clapped
Regarding children and phones, you have to be the parent.
Do what is best for the child regardless of how the child thinks about it.
My children were amongst the last in their year group to get a phone, they've had parental controls in place, and they aren't permitted social media. The eldest is now 16, and still isn't allowed social media.
They've managed to avoid a lot of the cyber bullying problems most of their peers at school have experienced, and are more relaxed and don't feel so much pressure to live up to a fake ideal.
I know these podcasts doesn't do that well when it comes to the amount of views you get, but please keep them coming, as a full time video editor I haven't been able to listen to something that I relate so much to! You are my company in every design session 🤣
I mean it’s not doing Epic NPC Man numbers, but 20k+ is really good for a brand new podcast and I hope they know that. It’s only a matter of time until it’s sponsored and that’ll help with their ROI.
100% it’s social media that is wrecking human interaction.
I agree 100%. The tools live navigation, being able to contact someone, calculate stuff etc. are all really useful. Social media though? Pffff.
They post this while interacting with other humans on their phone, or at least computer.
It's also helping human interaction and creating friendships you wouldn't have been able to create through the real world. Got a friend group I met on VRchat and now after more than a year, we're going to hangout in person with our partners at a convention.
@@anti1training I could see social media being good for disabled people, but for “able” bodied people it’s a huge mistake. Has done far more division than uniting
@@lspysworld4396 well I can’t advertise it on a billboard. Knowledgeable text on a YT vid is not the same as “thirst” posts on social media
My cellphone experience was the same as Rowan's. I had a couple of years in my early teens without one, then at 15 (in 2005) got a Nokia which literally had just a tiny black and white screen. Hearing Rowan talk about how it used to be like $0.20 per text brought back major nostalgia. Shortly after that Motorola came out with the Razr. It was instant love when I saw that. Worked my butt off lifeguarding to save money to get it. Still to this day is my fav phone of all time. I wish so much they would bring it back, just with updated features! Thanks for the trip down memory lane 😅
Oh and yes cellphones are ruining us.
Podcast topic ideas:
-Books or authors that inspire you.
-DnD
-Guest stars: Hamish, Ben Allie, Brit, Byron, Rob...
-Favorite fears
-Self-Care
-Hidden Talents
-What you wanted to be when you grew-up.
The ringtone thing you were talking about was "ring back"! I remember hating it as well 😂
Everyones priority should be to always see/use the phone as a tool that improves your life, never as a distraction. Just like Alan said: How does it make you really feel.
I find phones infuriating. I use mine a lot too, but I know when to use it. For instance, take my siblings. They're 26 and 28. My brother is constantly on his phone when we hang out. Constantly. My sister also uses it a ton when we're hanging out. It's at the point where if, say, we're going to play games together, I have to ask them to put their phones down, or we never get started.
They aren't phones anymore. They are hyper-powerful microcomputers, which have, as one of their functions, the ability to make and receive phone calls.
Truth
The problem is people can't be bored anymore. So many ideas and games came from being bored and thinking of news ways to entertain your family and friends. Now if your bored, get your phone out. People don't allow there kids to be bored and I think that is so important for the imagination. Great Pod Guys!!!
50/50 isn't the phones fault is our fault
A bit of caution when you allow a child to use a mobile phone that has a camera option. Most cellular telephones now have geolocation (geotag) capabilities, which places a geographic location in the metadata, showing where the photo was taken. You can turn the feature off, though.
Years ago my grandpa had problems to recharge his cellphone credit. He called the company and the computer voice told him to put in his code. Instead of typing it in, he just said it out loud and wondered why it didn’t work.
We all laughed sooo hard at him because obviously the cellphone can‘t hear you when you speak and such a thing could never be possible!
Well, only a few years later, that’s what everyone does! It’s crazy. My grandpa was ahead of his time unknowingly 😅
Turning off notifications is really what keeps me from using my phone excessively. One thing we do worry about is our four year old and how it will be when he gets a phone ect, not just because addiction but he will have the ability to literally google family and friends and witness a side of them he wouldn't see otherwise. Like "I saw grandma drinking before 21 so maybe it's okay." Or just constantly posting pics of your kids growing up, or even on a greater scale those parents making money off their kids via social media, most of their childhood memories will be of a phone in front of their face and embarrassing moments plastered for all to see.
Love the podcast, really enjoying hearing Alan's perspective about his kids when it comes to this stuff, very relatable
I got my first phone at 22yrs old, 2002. It was a state of the art Motorola flip phone 😂
Got the same thing at the age of 18 in 2017🤣🤣
Cell phones in school is a totally foreign concept for me. I didn't get a "dumb" cell phone until I was 25, just because of being born in 79'. I was already serving in the (US) Army before I had a cell phone.
Short Answer: Yes (Humanity as a whole lacks the self discipline to exercise their minds in the face of "supposed" convenience. Basically by making more things available thru a touch, reduces the immediate need to know how it got there, so when something can't be solved by a touch anymore, the basis of logics and experience that should have been there to yield a positive solution is no longer inherent.)
10 years going fan from Texas! Love you guys keep up the awesome work! So happy for all of your success since the olden days of just Alan and Rowan filming their own skits at Playtech lol.
I don't like notifications on my phone, only certain direct messages, slack, my calendar, and work app will pop up.
My partner on the other hand gets notifications for VLDL videos, like 3 sports apps, fb, direct messages, slack, the work app, and probably 30 other things.
It's so overwhelming.
Deleted my Facebook about 6 years ago. I missed the newsfeed scroll for all of about 2 days. Then realized just how much time I gained back to my day/life. I mean, sure, I immediately filled it with other non productive things, but I at least feel like I’m no longer living vicariously through all my friends and interstalking other people. All in all, I don’t regret ditching it for a minute.
Damn. As a 17 yo guy I'm starting to understand my parents trying to reduce my time I was alowed to play video games back when I was like 10-14. Although I never listened to them, now I'm thankfully not addicted to my phone or any kind of device
I've had social media deleted for 2 weeks now.
You are using social media right now
@@primadeluxe4910yeah i just turn off the social media notification yes i do use it
@@primadeluxe4910You have to maintain at least the educational ones lol
I took a year off and realized how little value added it game me. So now… I don’t really use it at all.
And yet your accessing social media
Tangent, but that whole thing about Alan receiving a letter in the 1800s would be a fun series. Like modern shenanigans in an 1800s setting, kinda the way you guys do the game logic in a real life office setting. Oh God, I feel like the guy who tells a programmer "I've got an idea for an app." I'll stop now.
Those were called 'slider' phones Rowan. The 'Matrix' phone. There were many different styles but they all slid open and closed either way.
There’s. Book called “Seven Eves” that talks about what y’all were mentioning about different generations use of tech (like Facebook and stuff) which was interesting… in the story the first part used tech as we do (because it was supposed to be us), and the second part was thousands of years later discussing how society had adapted away from it because the way we handled it.
I don’t use hardly any apps myself for my mental health and value it adds to my life… or doesn’t.
You guys I follow because you bring some joy to my life after work. Love y’all, you’re awesome and add value to me.
I got my first cell in mid-highschool. It was a simple flip Bell phone and was only for emergencies. When i went off for college, i still remember the Apple person talking about Talk-and-text and I said "oh i wont use text" and they told me that i will. Now, through work, society, family, you are EXPECTED to have a cellphone on you at all times. This os a three way street 1/3 societies fault, 1/3 companies, and 1/3 us.
Never bothered with a mobile myself, quite amusing the reactions i get from most folk.
my phone is with me all times....... but my average day on my phone is about 20 minutes.. as im at a computer most days.. my phone is an emergency thing.
Phones with the kids; we waited until they were going off on their own to places. We live relatively close to the elementary school, and the Jr high school, so we let both kids walk. We got them cell phones and had an app that we could see where they were. Communication was readily available. Basically age 12 was the age they started with phones but we took them back at bedtime.
I keep my phone by my bed for three reasons. I listen to audiobooks to fall asleep, I use the voice to text record my interesting dreams I had without having to type or write first thing in the morning, and in case of emergencies.
I've heard scientists say it's really bad to sleep with a phone in the bed, especially under a pillow.
@@Tob1Kadach1 I keep it on my nightstand
My first phone was a 3310. Only played Snake on it and took calls really. I miss having the buttons, I misspell all the time now
You could see the pride and look for approval in rowans eyes at the end of the intro song.. 😂
Thanks dudes! This podcast inspired me to take some more control on my phone usage, im going to try start limiting it now.
Apparently you can set the Digital health widget on your phone to the front page that displays screen time for the day. Hopefully that will help me remember to be conscious about it.
Not me screaming “RINGBACK” like you guys can hear me, lol!!! 😂
I got my first cellphone four years ago, and now I’m ruined.
I only purchase pyjamas with pockets.
I never use the pockets on my Pajamas
@@Tob1Kadach1it’s now 2am and I’m going to the fridge for clementines. I’m taking my phone. I’m not proud of this, but the phone and the clementines are going in my pyjama pockets.
Thank goodness I don’t have a horse. I’d need a higher class of pyjamas.
Consider getting work phones if you struggle with separating business & pleasure. Remove all work related contact from your personal phone, and switch your work phone off until business hours... 🎉❤
I got 2 phones now. I dropped my phone and replaced it but kept the dropped one too. On the replacement phone, I didn't install any social apps. Only use the browser to play music mixes on YT for the commute to work and listen to some Alan Watts or other longform content and that's it. Phone calls / texts are for close family and then it's on "Do Not Disturb" for everyone else. If it's important, I'll call them back otherwise I don't care. I don't need a phone for work but if I did, they'd have to supply me one because I'm not turning off my DND.
My old phone still has the social apps but the battery is dead most of the time, I don't bother charging it and just leave it in random places in the house mostly, so I can't even find it.
Man it's great. I feel free from the constant bickering of social media! Friends who are ADDICTED to their phones are crying and winging that I'm not there messaging them constantly but fuck it.
Which phone did you type this on?
@@paulgaitherOn the PC :)
CZcams is still social media…
@@sc29607Yeah true, the way I use it is different than before though. I don't use the homepage or algorthym. Instead I have my favourite mixes spread out over 50 tabs or so and then I can just tap on the one I want to listen to and play that directly, rather than interacting with the app itself and it's using a browser which doesn't play any ads.
This has been quite helpful and I'm not logged in on my phone either so the usual enticing content isn't there, it's just random shorts which I don't watch or music mixes.
Found this to be a good way to use it but I also have a few mixes offline on my phone so I can use those too.
CZcams on PC is a different kettle of fish, it's way easier to get drawn in and then stuck on the loop but ultimately, the PC isn't really getting much use these days outside of the odd gaming video for my channel or watching some films - so the real danger personally, is the PC and CZcams there but I'm aware enough and the content is generally quite cookie cutter / bland, other than this channel and a handful of others, so I'm not rinsing it like I would if it was on my phone.
With the phone, it's so much easier to just lay on the couch or bed and just switch off my brain and scroll, but ultimately it's not as satisfying and more importantly, I got family to look after so I have a strong motivation to keeping my health in tip top shape and my attention as present as I can.
Hope this life story gives something of use. Have a great day and thanks for the reply.
I feel like you talked a lot about how bad Instagram and Facebook, but only measly about the negative consequences (and there are a lot) of Reddit
I do enjoy it when Adam guides the discussion. Good questions and real relatable conversation. Love
I feel like they gave the dumb phones less credit than they deserve. They must've forgot. They look my age, so I'm assuming...
Back in the late 90's and onwards, we were absolutely _hyped_ about our phones! It was talked about as a problem back then: "All these teenagers texting and talking on their phones all the time."
It's much worse now, and in whole new ways. But it was definitely a craze back in the day. I remember Snake... and Polyphonic ringtones had an ironically charming quality to them - I think we mostly laughed about it than dug it, but we would have our favourite track if our parents would let us buy it (because they would handle the phone bills, lol)! I remember those things, but I know there were more things that made them interesting. I just don't remember what anymore 🤔
Maybe it's an age thing - maybe just me, but I feel like I was more excited about dump phones then, than I am about smart phones now.
Bravo Alan...no electronic leashes/babysitters for the kiddos
Ah memories, my first mobile phone was a Siemens C25 and first smartphone was a second hand iPhone 3 GS.
Not only is banning phones in schools better for kids education but it's actually a massive factor in school factor in school fights. School fights have skyrocketed since smart phones because kids film them and upload them to social media trying to be tough and famous. It's really bad. Paddy gower did a doco on that. So with phones being banned, there should be less school fights.
Never have we been more "connected" and yet so disconnected at the same time.
I'd love ot see tech skits like what you guys were chatting about near the end.
(new fav pod btw!)
13:49 My mobile usage is similar to Alan's: WordUp first (English), Google translate, calendar/memos
im 35 and just got 1 last year. 75% the time when ppl call its work asking if can come in or a scam y do i want that in my pocket? but to buy stuff or join something u cant use a home phone so i caved
Found this out recently: most newer gen phones, ESPECIALLY iPhones, have a “Smart Keyboard” which increases the hitbox for the subsequent letters so that it’s easier to type. It’s called something like predictive text. But basically if you’re typing the word “BATTERY” for instance, after you type “B-A-…” the hitbox for the letter “T” becomes much bigger and easier to tap.
This isa great topic. got my first iphone senior year of hs, was a IPhone 3, had the Nokia Indestructable before it, so hardy I would play a round of paintball at my field and find it in my pocket, intact and now unlocked with just 4 random new numbers in my contacts
You recorded this already on march 1st I saw the short of Alan messing up
The ringer that people would set for callers to listen to was called a "Ring-Back Tone".
I was guilty of a Britney Spears Ring-Back for about 2 weeks back in like 2004 or something 😂
used to set my phone on my desk and leave the room to work. check it once at lunch time and when workday is done before leaving for homw
Master the entro, and the whole podcast would be perfection🔥🔥
Keep up the good podcast 🎵🎵🎵🎸🎧
I graduated in '07. When I was in school, cellphones would get taken away, and not given back.
Using phone less on social situations feels more to me because I'm more comfortable in my own skin and don't need the distraction
my cellphone is my home phone, it has it table and i do not take you away from there. i hate that thing so much because how people use it now.
we really need to ban those things!
You should use that in your skits like you downloaded a phone mod to Skyrim and then all the npcs are like cool story bro while they scroll through their phone
Usually Phone keyboards have an algorithm that predicts which letter is going to be pressed next and increases the hitbox of the predicted letters. Invented by Ken Kocienda, while working on Project Purple/the first iPhone.
I dont know about Iphones but my samsung has app timers on it that only lets you use an app for a period of time before it locks you out. Its pretty handy
if you can live without car or smartphone the amount of savings are massive, because of maintenance costs especially. i sold my car and get myself a dumbphone. BESTS DECISIONS OF MY LIFE.
I heard the universe i click here for the Cosmos. This is Legend
I'm glad you did a podcast, I'm glad you did a podcast!
I'm 31 & I've had a phone since I was 13, my 1st phone was a Sony Ericsson that I could literally use to call and text.
I used to be pretty phone use heavy, but over time, it became clear that mobile apps and games were getting worse and it got to the point that I just didn't enjoy them anymore. CZcams app is pretty atrocious, reddit gets worse every month, AI is flooding everything online with more and more clutter of trash, games were streamlined to the whales and gambling addicts where they didn't even want your occasional small purchase, they only wanted huge and constant purchases from the .1% whale players.
I think also never getting into the whole swipe to progress on youtube shorts or tiktok saved me from ever getting drawn into that addiction. I'll occasionally watch shorts on PC, but only because I can get an extension that auto plays the next one instead of the completely useless format on phones. I'm not putting it on so I can do nothing but watch it, I put it on while doing something else so having to constantly engage to keep content going was a non starter for me.
You should do a podcast about where is gaming going?
That first 'clunky' type of touch I remember on some devices form either the late 1980s or early 1990s. One I think was osme type of computer, can't remember which kind and another was some type of old "video phone" from one of the big department stores that I think was listed as over $1,000 and on display lol with some kind of crude touch screen you almost had to punch lol. The phone was a normal touchtone phone from the time, landline phone, not a cellphone to avoid confusion. I didn't see it in there for long since I think the absurd pricetags and crap quality on the display model led to nobody wanting them.
I did think back and remember those things at least once at some point after smartphones thinking of how far we've come from that almost fallout satiric looking old thing I saw in the stores as a kid.
Only one to add to this: They are saying VR is the future of 'Cell Phones'.
When I was a child... If the power went out, we had matches and a candle in one draw. And a torch that may or may not work in another draw. Now'a'days, no need.
ALAN glasses will be the new screens and we wont have phones any more, trust me, great vids btw
first phone.. dot screen, i was pumped i could record my own ringtones.
I know there may be those who aren't big fans of Google if they can help it, but Gboard is a really solid keyboard application, and it's speech to text is really accurate. That all being said, I wouldn't go so far as to say that phones are fully ruining us yet, but they certainly are beginning to ruin peoples ability to interact socially, which could then have a much more deleterious effect down the road, but we aren't quite there yet. 10 more years, maybe.
I would say, in regards to the issue of phones in schools and such, there could be basically a school mode for phones. During school hours, you cannot make or receive calls outside of a specific list of emergency numbers, no texting, no entertainment apps, and limited internet functionality. If you need to research something, schools these days have a crap ton of computers, right? Use those.
I gave up social media entirely 7 years ago and was better off for it. I eventually within the last year or so added X to my phone and use it to follow soccer transfer news mostly, and I have an insta account so I can view things people send me like oh that’s cool haha, moving on. If it wasn’t for the 7 years of complete social media blackout, I’d undoubtedly be WAY more addicted to those apps than I am today. I think once you are comfortable with the FOMO aspect and who you are as a person and an adult outside of the chaos, it’s easier to have minor engagements with social media and put it down and move on with your day. Every now and then I catch myself starting to feel that “need” and I’ll put it down for weeks before coming back to it again.
But God help these kids that are growing up with this stuff from the moment they can use an iPad. I seriously worry for them. I got my first iPhone at 19 and I still had issues with social media in the beginning. These kids are f’d man. No wonder social anxiety and depression, and loneliness are on the rise.
Cool, another episode of TWGWAP.
I fought the CelPhone trap until I was fifty, then I picked up a flip phone. Then I had a slider phone for five years. I've only had smart phones in the last five or six years, and I rarely use it.
- My electronic crack is the Computer. Most of my time is spent on the computer.
1:35 when he said "Yes" I paused and said "The end" and considered turning off, lol.
...I'm sure I'll come back and listen to the rest later as nice audio filler for chores.
I kinda like when my mom and dad show each other videos on their phone and then argue over it 😂.. yeah iphone4 loved the size.
34:44 women get images how they’re supposed to look.
Men: I wanna look like Goku.
Very realistic 😂
i think i didnt have a phone till around 20 and not even a smart phone till at least early 20s and i was the weird kid at school the only one to wear a watch still, i kind of miss not having it definately felt more present in the world without it
Watching this on my phone.. definitely not distracted
Luckily I never cared much for social media. I typically have about 2 hours screen time with CZcams since I listen to it on my commute to work.
Other than that I typically just use it for work itself.
First cellphone was at 16, and I got really good at blind texting
I will often leave my cell phone at home while I go for a ride to the store. It’s very freeing.
Great conversation guys!
I was supposed to be supervising our cat outdoors and was watching you guys and lost the cat!
Phones are ruining us.
Saying that, my first phone was a NEC P3 (made in the 90's). NO texting ability, about 8 - 12 hours stand by time / 45-50 minutes talk time.
They were huge and very expensive. (phone and calls).
When texting came out (had a nokia 2110 ??? I think), I thought, "This is great" but now I think it is bad.
Sure, it's nice to have a smart phone with navigation and all, but people just walk and text with a semi permanent crick in their neck now.
It's job security for all the chiropractors of the world!
Smartphones although have got more powerful, haven’t actually fundamentally evolved since 2007.
Although the snapdragon itself has been used in vr now
I miss my Nokia brick.
At about 24:30 OMG! They're huge! Look behind Adam in the next room.
41:39 me watching this for forty minutes 👍
My first phone was a tracphone. You had to use your minutes to read a text sent to you and to also send texts to people. Crappy phone but it was better than nothing
hilarious. I remember my first smart phone with touch screen too. Alan is right, its a status thing. I felt like I was joining the current era and not showing how poor I really was with my invincible nokia flip phone.
Alright, now i wish to see a french sketch written by Alan
I love this podcast. Hell yeah.
My screen time average last week was 2h 37m. Top 3 apps were reddit, chrome & discord
I must be really weird. I only use my phone for calls, the occasional family member text, or looking up something on the internet like news or factual info. And of course watching You Tube videos (but usually I do that on my laptop). The only app I use is a notepad for my grocery list. I don't use my phone for email or work and I don't have a single social media account. I usually go most of the day without looking at my phone. I'm not sure what people are doing on there that they can't put them down. Could be because I'm older. I didn't have a cell phone (just call and text) until my late 20s and didn't get a smart phone until my late 30s.
Yes i dumped all social media 8 years ago and it's amazing. I truly recommend everyone to do it. For one its 2 hours of extra time a day. My stress levels are down tremendously not having to see or deal with any of that fake ass shit that consumes people on there like worrying about impressing amd being judged by strangers that have zero to do with your lives. Cellphones are for 3 things...talk/text email and PORN 😂😂😂
My parents don’t have cellphones, they opted to have a landline.
I’ve always been curious as to what would happen if we didn’t have social media for like 24 hours. Then when FB and IG shut down I was thrilled but irritated cause then they all just went into Twitter lmao
Most of us are definitely addicted, and with technology advancing over the years, we might even live a life in the future where it is impossible not to encounter technology.
texting and social media should be taken away from our cellphones. I think overall it would improve humanity for it.