Smart Phones: Good thing or not so good?

[Soloist]

The topic is smartphones, not every other piece of technology that's ever existed.

I think you can acknowledge that the smartphone, which was introduced to the masses circa 2007, has caused significant societal changes - most of them negative.

How is that different from the Internet?

I think both have introduced positive and negative changes.

How is a steam engine different than a frozen Stouffer's lasagna?

Steam engines can make lasagna. The frozen Stouffer's lasagna is only good for throwing at people like John.

[Bootstrap]

The topic is smartphones, not every other piece of technology that's ever existed.

I think you can acknowledge that the smartphone, which was introduced to the masses circa 2007, has caused significant societal changes - most of them negative.

How is that different from the Internet?

I think both have introduced positive and negative changes.

How is a steam engine different than a frozen Stouffer's lasagna?

The smartphone is a device that functions as a client on the Internet. Can you help me understand your analogy?

I think you are suggesting that consuming the Internet with a laptop is fundamentally different from consuming the Internet with a smartphone. How does your analogy inform this?

If the real problem is the device people use, are you saying people who access MN with their phones are doing something evil, but people who access MN with their laptops do not face similar temptations?

[JohnL]

Now this has me wanting some homemade lasagne with plenty of cheese and garlic.

How is that different from the Internet?

I think both have introduced positive and negative changes.

How is a steam engine different than a frozen Stouffer's lasagna?

Steam engines can make lasagna. The frozen Stouffer's lasagna is only good for throwing at people like John.

[JohnH]

How is that different from the Internet?

I think both have introduced positive and negative changes.

How is a steam engine different than a frozen Stouffer's lasagna?

The smartphone is a device that functions as a client on the Internet. Can you help me understand your analogy?

I think you are suggesting that consuming the Internet with a laptop is fundamentally different from consuming the Internet with a smartphone. How does your analogy inform this?

If the real problem is the device people use, are you saying people who access MN with their phones are doing something evil, but people who access MN with their laptops do not face similar temptations?

Generally speaking, people didn’t carry around a VT-100 terminal with them everywhere they went (although I did lug around an IBM P75 for a few years, which may had an impact on my social life) and just whip it out anyplace and everyplace and zone out for hours.