NY teens going flip phone only

[steelyman]

The New York Times published an article entitled “‘Luddite’ Teens Don’t Want Your Likes” that I thought was interesting. It was about a group of teenagers in the city who’ve decided to put down their smartphones and favor the older flip phone instead (or none at all).

I applaud their move regardless of how long it lasts.

I can’t post the article or link (paywall) but here’s a snippet:

It all began during lockdown, she said, when her social media use took a troubling turn.

“I became completely consumed,” she said. “I couldn’t not post a good picture if I had one. And I had this online personality of, ‘I don’t care,’ but I actually did. I was definitely still watching everything.”

Eventually, too burned out to scroll past yet one more picture-perfect Instagram selfie, she deleted the app.

“But that wasn’t enough,” she said. “So I put my phone in a box.”

 

[street]

WOW!
I wonder why but I like the direction of their thinking. I just wonder if it catches on and how long it lasts for them.

 

[Aerides]

Here's the link:

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/15/style/teens-social-media.html

I'm interested for those that can read it - how big is this "group?"

 

[steelyman]

Here's the link:

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/15/style/teens-social-media.html

I'm interested for those that can read it - how big is this "group?"

The article (published yesterday) says it has about 25 members. Who knows? I bet they don’t have a Facebook (or whatever) group.

 

[bloom2708]

But, I bet the have an iPad, MacBook and a Gaming Desktop setup. Along with a 70" OLED TV.

Going low tech.

If SIM sharing was easier, I would love to have a small, candy bar sized phone only I could take in certain situations. Other times, the GPS and all the other gizmos on my iPhone are quite amazing in a compact sized box.

 

[JoeWras]

I used a slide rule for a week too. Really, I did. That was enough. Back to my TI-57.

 

[audreyh1]

I used a slide rule for a week too. Really, I did. That was enough. Back to my TI-57.

Texas Instruments calculator!

We haven’t had physical calculators in the house for a long time. All apps or spreadsheets now.

OMG! They are reading physical books too! Shocking!

We still have some physical books but we haven’t bought one in a very long time.

 

[Which Roger]

Maybe it will rub off on us! Future headline "ER forum members decide to put away their laptops".
Sent from my laptop

 

[frayne]

I can see it already, some day all the old codgers will still be using smart phones while the young hipsters will be posing with their latest and greatest, gold plated, elonmush dumb chip embedded behind their ears or in their foreheads.

 

[steelyman]

I don’t think they are abandoning technology. Just addictive cybersocial media.

 

[aja8888]

I used a slide rule for a week too. Really, I did. That was enough. Back to my TI-57.

I did 4 years of Mechanical Engineering studies with ONLY a slide rule. Boy, was I peeved when calculators came out after I graduated.

 

[sengsational]

I'm reading Ten Arguments for Deleting All your Social Media Accounts Right Now

The premise is that as a user of social media, you're being manipulated by algorithms controlled by these big companies and whatever entities pay them.

But the author doesn't throw the baby out with the bathwater...he's pro-technology, just anti-social media.

 

[FLSUnFIRE]

I'm reading Ten Arguments for Deleting All your Social Media Accounts Right Now

The premise is that as a user of social media, you're being manipulated by algorithms controlled by these big companies and whatever entities pay them.

But the author doesn't throw the baby out with the bathwater...he's pro-technology, just anti-social media.

I won't link lest it be considered political since they lean libertarian but Reason Magazine had a pretty good article "In Defense of Algorithms" in the Jan23 print edition (should be easily findable online). Might want to read that for what might be a good counterpoint.... if you're like me and enjoy reading various perspectives on issues.


Personally, I like FB to keep up with friends (much better than the annual Christmas card summary) but would like to delete FB from my phone to keep me from going down time wasting scrolling. I don't, because a lot of real life social events are coordinated/organized and I need/want access for communication/updates. As it is, I try to avoid using my phone to access FB at home (if I want to go on I go to the computer) and have my phone fuss at me if I'm on it for more than 30 minutes a day.

 

[Qs Laptop]

The New York Times published an article entitled “‘Luddite’ Teens Don’t Want Your Likes” that I thought was interesting. It was about a group of teenagers in the city who’ve decided to put down their smartphones and favor the older flip phone instead (or none at all).

I'm going to go with "none at all". No way would a Gen Y or Millennial make a phone call (the HORROR!!). That leaves texting. But a flip phone's keypad is going to be difficult to text with and won't have voice input. Ergo, no phone for these don't wanna-be narcissists.

 

[steelyman]

I'm going to go with "none at all". No way would a Gen Y or Millennial make a phone call (the HORROR!!). That leaves texting. But a flip phone's keypad is going to be difficult to text with and won't have voice input. Ergo, no phone for these don't wanna-be narcissists.

That was my instinct too. But the article includes some comments from parents about relying on their kids having smartphones and GPS as a safety mechanism. I can understand that.

 

[Car-Guy]

I still have a couple of flip phones but I don't know if they will still work... (Probably will if the batteries will still charge up)

I like old technology too, so few years ago when I was "decorating" my man cave with "an old school" theme (manly stuff, ) my wife gave me a refurbished and fully functional pay phone. Touch tone and Loop start. Not many of those around anymore.

 

[braumeister]

I suppose the next step would be to start writing letters again, except nobody can read cursive anymore.

 

[Car-Guy]

^^^^
Looking back at my cursive writing, it was really an introduction into encryption. And it's still unbroken to this day!

 

[Aerides]

I'm going to go with "none at all". No way would a Gen Y or Millennial make a phone call (the HORROR!!). That leaves texting. But a flip phone's keypad is going to be difficult to text with and won't have voice input. Ergo, no phone for these don't wanna-be narcissists.

You never watched teens in Tokyo on flip phones texting thru their entire subway ride. Kids have no problem texting on the old devices.

 

[sengsational]

The premise is that as a user of social media, you're being manipulated by algorithms controlled by these big companies and whatever entities pay them.

To expand on this, it's not the premise that all algorithms are bad, it's that there are many that are set up to increase "engagement". Human nature is such that what gets more engagement turns out to make the individual and collective world a worse place to be.

 

[steelyman]

^^^^
Looking back at my cursive writing, it was really an introduction into encryption. And it's still unbroken to this day!

I often (sheepishly) tell someone observing me sign, “I know. It looks like a ransom note.”

 

[JoeWras]

To expand on this, it's not the premise that all algorithms are bad, it's that there are many that are set up to increase "engagement". Human nature is such that what gets more engagement turns out to make the individual and collective world a worse place to be.

I actually like some of the stuff fed to me by google, or Reddit. Reddit has led me down a whole bunch of construction subs that are fascinating. I ignore the political stuff it feeds me and tell it to shut up. It still sends me to stuff that is 180 degrees orthogonal to my beliefs, but I just shut them. Maybe because it is so incredibly out of my zone I recognize it. It seems to have learned that anything politics gets shut, so I don't see much anymore.

I didn't like the stuff fed to me by FB or Twitter. So I got off those. The problem was my friends would get political and I couldn't get it out the system. Perhaps the anonymity of Reddit -- or let's face it -- early-retirement.org, helps.

The algo here is mostly human, driven by moderators who have parameters. I'm mostly OK with them. I do get testy sometimes when I sense a blind eye to things, but I get over it.

 

[aja8888]

I suppose the next step would be to start writing letters again, except nobody can read cursive anymore.

My 75 year old sister writes me a multi page letter every Christmas. She has no cell phone and all the kids and grands are in the neighborhood! I don't think she even uses their house computer. She's fine and doing quite well.

 

[ERD50]

I didn't read the article (sounds stupid to me anyway*), but remember, a 'flip-phone' today is not their Father's 'flip-phone', they have touch screens now:

https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/samsung-galaxy-z-flip-4-review/

Which is something I'll look into when I'm in the market. I always liked the flip-phone format. Close it up and the screen is protected, open to answer, close to hang up. Fits in my pocket better. The negative is will there be reliability issues with electrical conductors through the moving parts. We know it can be made to be reliable, but since so many upgrade their phones so often, long term reliability (easily replaceable battery anyone?), may take a back seat.

* I say stupid because if you have a problem, it's your problem and not the fault of the tool. Ditching the tool is just a lazy way out, and I'd bet they go back to it, maybe some other way. It's not a real behavioral change.

-ERD50

 

[rodi]

Both of my sons have gone through phases of deleting social media... Insta, snap, tiktok. I think they both have instagram only right now.

They use their smart phones as calculators in high level college math and statistics - so they won't be giving up their phones.

Edited to add: They were never into facebook - that's for boomers. LOL