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If smart phones disapeared how would you cope?

TheCatWoman

I would cope fine as I don't have one, they're smarter than me for a start, but I know most people do have them and use them all the time.

How would you do your banking and benefits, could you cope with having to talk to an actual person?

What about if the internet got blasted back 15 years and there was no AI, an internet that was smaller but in many ways friendlier and easier to use. If there were only texts and phone calls and no real social media? No streaming either, you either watched something live or recorded it!

I think I'd be happier and find things easier as I've never really got to grips with technology, I found things hard enough 15 years ago, now many things seem impossible.

  • in reply to Deleted User
    Unknown said:
    You meant "now" instead of "not" right?

    you care correct - I'll amend the typo. Thanks.

  • in reply to Iain
    Iain said:
    Without smart phones it would be a complete pain in the bum as they are not involved

    You meant "now" instead of "not" right?

  • It would be better for society but people under 45 would probably be tearing their hair out. It hasn’t improved anything as the really powerful tech is reserved for governments and companies. Phones are basically used as a direct line now to sell us more stuff (including phones) and influence us with the media (which is mostly owned by big businesses. We are paying to advertise them and given them free data.They have meshed tech so much into everyday life now it’s just not feasible to live like a hermit anymore. It would take a long time to adjust without as they know all the triggers the human brain needs to see and hear through their screen. It’s a bit like when they discovered the perfect ‘sweet spot’ formula for icecream. The internet is the problem. If phones were disconnected form the internet like in the 1990’s that would work.

  • Without smart phones it would be a complete pain in the bum as they are now involved in so many aspects of life to improve it and to facilitate things. People as ancient as us have all had experience of living in such a stone age situation but I really wouldn't wish such hassle on anyone.

    TheCatWoman said:
    What about if the internet got blasted back 15 years and there was no AI, an internet that was smaller but in many ways friendlier and easier to use.

    The internet of 15 years ago was not easy to use - I used to have to train staff on how to use it safely and as soon as you went beyond the big companies websites it turned into the Wild West with viruses everywhere that most computers were poorly protected against.

    Services were much more basic, consistency between companies non-existant and we used to hace to speak to people all the time to resolve the issues of the rubbish service - something that would be an anathema for most autists.

    I use mine for seeing what the weather will be, for maps to work out how to get to a destination, for reviews of restaurants around where I'm visiting and to see the menu, for internet banking (even buying a house on a few occasions), for shopping on the likes of eBay, for translating documents / menus when on holiday, for paying for train tickets (especially the London Underground), for calling my Uber taxi to get around and for tracking my health progress in the gym.

    This is lot of benefits it offers me directly.

    I notice that there is a tiny minority of adults who have no mobile now - https://www.uswitch.com/mobiles/studies/mobile-statistics/ suggests that this number is shrinking rapidly year on year as the hold-outs are catching up with the benefits of the technology. I suspect within 3-4 years the number of hold outs will become statistically irrelevant to the government in terms of retaining services that cater for them.

    I guess the question for you is: if your desire to hold out from the technology will reduce the benefits for the majority of other people, is it reasonable to do so? At what level do the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few? 50,000 holdouts? 500? 5? 

    This is as much a hypothetical question as yours but also relevant to the discussion.

  • You always raise deep and hard questions. 

    For me, if phones and computers and all technology disappeared, it would feel good. I would sit at the shore of the river and watch it flow. There is a lot left to marvel at; "To see a World in a Grain of Sand".

    Human technology has advanced faster than morality, so it would be a big relief. At all times there was the good and the bad, but now the damage we can cause is huge (man-made viruses, nuclear weapons, cyber attacks, fossil fuel leakage and pollution,...)

    For appointments and stuff, I would use landline. If that were gone it would be hard to go and book, but I would do it.

  • It would have a big affect on my life. I use it for so many things. So many apps that help me to keep track of things like banking, electricity etc. I wouldn't like not being able to just check those things and I'd dislike having to ring up even more. 

    I'd probably live without social media. It'd be an adjustment but would probably do me some favours in many ways.

    I like to stream things and would be bothered if I missed it. It's actually really hard to record things now unless you pay for things like sky so I rely on streaming if I'm not in. 

    I also like to check details of things such as looking at a menu for a restaurant before I go so I know there's something I'm ok eating. My anxiety would definitely be higher if that was taken away from me.