Post: #1

Roosh’s latest post on society, smartphones, and obviously the attention girls get from social media and the ease of access which creates entitled bitches is spot-on. I however, wanted to talk about the same phenomenon amongst men as well.

I am in my early 20s and I have found that not only women are guilty of this but a lot of my guy friends are like this as well. While they are not so big on taking pictures but constantly checking their phones, texting people, and checking social media on their smartphones every 5-10 minutes has become the norm. Frankly, this has become a pet peeve of mine. I find that hanging out with people who are not mentally there is annoying and it pisses me off.

Don’t get me wrong, I own a smartphone myself but I have made a conscious decision to not check my phone when I am in social settings or with my friends. Not checking my phone makes me the odd man out and only makes me notice even more how mentally dependent people have become on them.

Even with the guys, I notice a couple of them constantly texting back and forth, and another one is has the phone in his hand all the time like Roosh described in the post.

I notice that this is not limited to men and women in my age group, I notice people of all ages constantly checking their smartphones everywhere.

You know what pisses me off even more? Whenever I am watching any games and they show the crowd and half of them are on their smartphone. You are paying 100s of dollars to go to these events and you find your phone more interesting.

I think that social media combined with smartphones are making people forget how to socialize and how to spend time with each other not just by being physically present but also mentally.

Maybe it’s just me but how do members in other age groups feel or notice what people in their social circle behave (men and women)? Or are you one of the people that are always checking their smartphones?

Post: #2

Bleeargh

Post: #3

Welcome to the Palm Zombie Apocalypse!

Post: #4

My smart phone took a dump a little while back, so I had my old flip phone reactivated till I got it going.

I forgot how much smaller and simpler it is and the sound quality was a lot better.

Otherwise it feels like carrying around a brick.

The only real advantages is that its a mobile hotspot, which is very useful for business. Also, even with my huge cell bill its still cheaper then phone plus internet for me.

The other is throwing things on craigslist for sale since you don't have to transfer files.

Post: #5

People definitely do overlook the use of smartphones by dudes.

I went to watch the Canucks get destroyed at a bar the other day and there were big tables of younger dudes watching, they hardly talked and were on their smartphones the whole time. The older guys there were eating food, drinking beer and joking around.

I don't think its as common in guys when you're hanging out one on one or in a small group, but I have some friends who are really bad with checking their phones, I'm talking as soon as conversation stops they bust it out, they'll do shit on facebook when they're driving, won't talk to you if you're driving and just go on their phone.

I know I had a bad problem with always checking text messages as social anxiety relief. When I first started going to bars I'd always have my phone out if I wasn't talking to someone, if I walked in and my friends weren't there yet I'd bust out my phone immediately, still catch myself doing it sometimes and it just screams 'I'm nervous and uncomfortable'

Post: #6

It's not just a girl problem. The last weekend I went out with two friends at a bar and they both spent some time staring down at their phones in the middle of a conversation. Imo that's pretty rude, you're there to interact with friends in person not jerk off to your photo album on instagram or fb or text messages or whatever else is so incredibly important that you feel compelled to stare down at your phone right that moment instead of talking to the dude sitting 3ft across from you.

Post: #7

Girls use it for instant gratification, like a drug. They are addicted to that attention.
Guys use it to numb their minds off the fact that they can't socialize anymore even if their life depended on it. A good conversation beats Facebook, always.

Post: #8

We basically have two of the same threads going on at once. But here was my input on the other thread...

Smartphones are abused by the masses. They are great though when you really think about it. I don't feel I abuse mine. The only time I go on the web when I'm not actually using it for something I really need, is when I'm bored, waiting for a bus or something like that, then I usually come to the forum. I used my phone a dozen times today for instances I really needed it for. For example, looking up the number to a store a couple towns away, finding directions to a restaurant, finding where in town the aquarium was located. I suppose this wasn't something I REALLY needed to do, but it was convenient none the less.. My mom is traveling to Saint Kitts tomorrow, I was telling her about the booze drinking monkeys they have there. She thought I was full of shit, so I went on youtube and showed her a video. It also made for a cool discussion for the next 5 minutes with our lunch party. Smart phones can really be great, they just shouldn't be abused to the extent they are in the states.

But yes, it has become a real problem in the states. You know the situation is bad when, as the above two posters have stated, people would rather be on their phones than engage in human interaction. Don't let your phone control you and your actual social life. Yeah, facebook and that stuff can be fun, but how many of those people you're talking to on facebook are you going to see anytime soon, and if you are going to see them soon, why do you have to talk to them over facebook? Human interaction should obviously be more important than cyber interaction, but some people have their priorities fucked up.

Post: #9

" You know the situation is bad when, as the above two posters have stated, people would rather be on their phones than engage in human interaction."

I just remembered another one from a while back. I was dd so I was more observant of other people than normal.

These 3 girls sat down at the table across from ours. They were early. They ordered some drinks. They didn't talk and just texted until the drinks arrived. Then they put on some fake smiles and took some pictures and went back to their phones. They didn't start talking till their dudes showed up and only talked to the ones who were more interesting than their phones.

It's a depressing realization when you have to work to be more entertaining than a piece of technology.

Post: #10

I had a similar experience as WesternCancer a few months back. I was out to lunch at a quiet place with a girl and as we were just wrapping up our meal another young couple in their 20s came in and sat down in front of us to the right to made their order. We both commented on their appearance and decided to observe their behavior.

As soon as their waiter had turned heels with their menus they both whipped out their smartphones with glitzy plastic cases and sat in silence for the entire time the waiter took to come back with their entrees. It was early in the afternoon and a very sunny but not too hot, basically perfect condition day, yet all those two people did while they sat by the window was ignore the outside world and each other in order to zone out and tap on their touchscreens. For almost 10 minutes they never looked up from their phones or made a comment to the person they were having lunch with. When the waiter came back to the table with their orders they looked up and blinked as if they were waking from a dream, and both of them finally put their phones to the side and took their meals. They continued their radio silence with each other and lack of interaction with the world, other than preparing to eat their food. We left and I laughed at how sad their behavior was, while the girl I was with expressed disgust.

I find it sad how the simple act of a good conversation is a lost art among so many.

Post: #11

(05-08-2013 10:53 PM)TheSlayer Wrote:  I however, wanted to talk about the same phenomenon amongst men as well.

This will be an interesting test of people's political leanings even though they probably don't realize it.

WIA

Post: #12

It's a powerful tool which allows the rewarding dopamine-hit to come in every few seconds, so the only way smartphone use will drop is if it becomes less rewarding. Before smartphones, the frequent dopamine-hits from knowing someone approves of you by Liking your pictures or the points achieved from playing another mind-numbing version of Angry Birds simply weren't there, so we looked to the external world for the dopamine-hit of REAL socialisation.

The only way smartphone use will decline is if they become immediately less rewarding e.g. Facebook and other social media engagement drops through becoming more boring, etc but really I find it difficult to believe we'll be any less distracted in the future with Google Glass and other body-wearable 'smartphones' coming soon.

Post: #13

the companies know about the dopamine receptors. if you have been addicted to ICQ or a MMO in your teens, it is quite similar. it takes some time to realize, that most of it doesnt give you any real world benefit

Post: #14

I always believed social media was essentially World of Warcraft for women. Instead of killing a bunch of computer controlled monsters to level up, you post pictures of mundane activities everyone does - eating, going to a bar, whatever and try to dress it up as some extravagant event worth attention. The more successful you are, as dictated by the amount of likes you receive, or new followers that latch on to you, the more you 'level up'.

Try using this analogy to neg a girl, its very amusing I must say. Comparing the social princess to a basement dwelling nerd... instant pedestal crushing.

Post: #15

I lost my iphone that I got for my birthday in tenth grade on a ski trip my eleventh grade year. It also happened that I improved more socially in my last year of highschool than any other. I don't really miss it that much. I did not abuse it much though, because I had no internet (for whatever reason).

I will be getting an old iphone that my Dad no longer uses. I will use it to text, call, play music, and yes, take some pictures. The real reason I want it? To play music when I go running. I could have gotten an ipod, but it was cheaper for my old man to give me his old phone when he upgrades for his company.

Post: #16

Yes I'm aware that males succumb to the smartphone drug as well, but on average it doesn't exceed that of female addiction.

Quote:We basically have two of the same threads going on at once.

What's the other thread?

Post: #17

These smartphones are digi-crack to women with te only comparison to men being digital porn. As mentioned those rapid dopamine hits are no good for the brain and in time fry those receptors. You end up depressed, not sure of how to reach your potential, and confused. Smart phones will be the downfall of the Western woman like porn will be to the western man.

What is interesting to me is the differences in Japan and here. In Japan the "smart phone" was around say before it was here but they do not seem to have the same issues of not phone addiction but he attention the phone gives them. Why is it some much different here?

For men the increase comes from them trying to mimic women. The strive towards men becoming
more effeminate means they copy female traits more and more.

Post: #18

I once was on a date with a chick that kept playing with her phone.

I ended up saying, "Hey Neo, why don't you unplug from the Matrix for 15 minutes?"

"Oh but so and so..."

"Sweetheart, there will be always be someone liking your photos, relax and drink."

1 new notch on my belt later that night

Post: #19

(05-09-2013 06:45 AM)Roosh Wrote:  What's the other thread?

Ask and you shall receive.

Wald

Post: #20

Just as an aside, this post is the best thing I've read by Roosh.

Great insight into the minds of the girls, great writing.

Post: #21

Another great read from Roosh.

This past weekend I was out in a club with my ex-gf and a few of her cute friends. At one point my ex-gf and her friend that I was hitting on whipped out their smartphones (iPhone the other a Samsung P.O.S) while we were lounging on a couch together. I grabbed both phones and said with a grin something to the effect of "we're going to enjoy eachother's company like its the 90's before all this smartphone shit" the friend playfully replied "be nice to us"

They complied & put their phones away, but that only lasted for so long as later on that night they "had to check something"

Post: #22

I really fucking hate smart phones, I think the world was so much better off before them. I find myself checking my phone all the time in public and I cant stand it, I have to self-consciously force myself not to bring it out.

Whats the whatsapp use like over in the states? Here its out of control, everyone on whatsapp all the fucking time. You have all groups of people messaging each other stupid shit, individual chats, my phone is blowing up all day with useless shit and I cant stand it. I know I should just get rid of it but girls only use it these days, no one even texts anymore. Id be shooting myself in the foot.

Post: #23

I purposely go out with my cellphone pretty depleted. Just enough battery to get through the night. I found for myself at least that it helps me focus on socializing.

Once I saw a girl trying to dance and type a text at the same time. It was a totally ridiculous sight. So ridiculous, I went right next to the group of girls she was in and started imitating it right next to them. They all busted out laughing and the one girl was pretty embarrassed after my demonstration of her behavior.

Post: #24

"My smart phone broke a few months ago and I had to connect an old slider phone. I think it was a blessing in disguise because I don't know I'll ever go back to a smart phone. That shit is like a drug and it just seems feminine to me to have your face all in a tiny screen 24/7 when you leave your house. You just look like a bitch when you can't put it away. I bet 99% of kids couldn't look at a map and find their way across town with it. Anyone remember getting lost on purpose and finding out about new things? FUck, I'm glad I missed the smart phone wave and grew up without phones around. Young people do not know how to socialize outside of their groups, it's weird. "

Post: #25

When I hold events at home or go out with friends or family, I openly shame anyone who spends excessive amounts of time on their phone, causing everyone to follow suit. Make them feel embarrassed and it will put an end to that behavior fast. Works even better with women, whether it's a first date or a girl you've been with for years. Just don't pull that card when you're out with her and her friends or it will backfire in most situations.