Little Things That Irk You VI: The Rage Awakens

[Zen Monkey]

I find mankind's obsession with screens increasingly irksome. I spent Christmas with my folks. Walked into their sitting room on Boxing Day, went and stood by the fire and looked around the room: my father was lying on the couch doing something on his ipad, my uncle was sat on the chair doing something on his mobile phone, my parents' friend's 12 year old kid (he spent Christmas with us, we didn't kidnap him, honest guvnor!) was lying on the floor doing something on his tablet. Nobody talking to each other. Nobody present in the room. It was kinda sad. I witness it on the bus on the way to work too. Everybody has their head down, eyes fixed on their phone, checking facebook or whatever. Nobody looking at the mountains, or the trees, or the shire horses or cows, or the play of light through the clouds. Nobodies mind in the same place their body is. I probably sound like an old git but I don't understand how crap on a screen is more interesting than reality.

[Zaki]

I find mankind's obsession with screens increasingly irksome. I spent Christmas with my folks. Walked into their sitting room on Boxing Day, went and stood by the fire and looked around the room: my father was lying on the couch doing something on his ipad, my uncle was sat on the chair doing something on his mobile phone, my parents' friend's 12 year old kid (he spent Christmas with us, we didn't kidnap him, honest guvnor!) was lying on the floor doing something on his tablet. Nobody talking to each other. Nobody present in the room. It was kinda sad. I witness it on the bus on the way to work too. Everybody has their head down, eyes fixed on their phone, checking facebook or whatever. Nobody looking at the mountains, or the trees, or the shire horses or cows, or the play of light through the clouds. Nobodies mind in the same place their body is. I probably sound like an old git but I don't understand how crap on a screen is more interesting than reality.

This^

It might also explain why kids these days have no dexterity.

[charlesr]

News articles that are just made up of "things people said on twitter in reaction to an event".

[charlesr]

I find mankind's obsession with screens increasingly irksome. I spent Christmas with my folks. Walked into their sitting room on Boxing Day, went and stood by the fire and looked around the room: my father was lying on the couch doing something on his ipad, my uncle was sat on the chair doing something on his mobile phone, my parents' friend's 12 year old kid (he spent Christmas with us, we didn't kidnap him, honest guvnor!) was lying on the floor doing something on his tablet. Nobody talking to each other. Nobody present in the room. It was kinda sad. I witness it on the bus on the way to work too. Everybody has their head down, eyes fixed on their phone, checking facebook or whatever. Nobody looking at the mountains, or the trees, or the shire horses or cows, or the play of light through the clouds. Nobodies mind in the same place their body is. I probably sound like an old git but I don't understand how crap on a screen is more interesting than reality.

This is one of the reasons I love running (without music) and mountain biking for hours. See so much beauty.

[Zen Monkey]

Yeah, there's no need for distractions or embellishments when you're out and about immersed in nature. As Lucius Seneca the famous Roman Stoic philosopher said, 'All art is but imitation of nature".

[Colin]

I find mankind's obsession with screens increasingly irksome. I spent Christmas with my folks. Walked into their sitting room on Boxing Day, went and stood by the fire and looked around the room: my father was lying on the couch doing something on his ipad, my uncle was sat on the chair doing something on his mobile phone, my parents' friend's 12 year old kid (he spent Christmas with us, we didn't kidnap him, honest guvnor!) was lying on the floor doing something on his tablet. Nobody talking to each other. Nobody present in the room. It was kinda sad. I witness it on the bus on the way to work too. Everybody has their head down, eyes fixed on their phone, checking facebook or whatever. Nobody looking at the mountains, or the trees, or the shire horses or cows, or the play of light through the clouds. Nobodies mind in the same place their body is. I probably sound like an old git but I don't understand how crap on a screen is more interesting than reality.

What kind of screen are you staring at typing out this post complaining about people staring at screens? That's the real question.

[kryss]

He writes his posts by hand and then sends them to my mother, who types them up for him. She also takes out the naughty words, but oddly leaves in the drug references.

[Zaki]

As much as I enjoy teasing zen monkey, I think he's got a point here. What I took away from his post is that there is a time and a place.

I can't stand it when I'm talking to someone and they start texting/playing on their phones. This has happened to me at work with one of our directors during my annual review - I had to stop and say "is this a bad time?"

[charlesr]

For real? One of your reviewers used their phone? Mental. Shows how much they care about you.

[Zaki]

For real? One of your reviewers used their phone? Mental. Shows how much they care about you.

Yep, I couldn't believe it at the time.

[Blobcat]

Unless specifially asked/ needed we don't use phones when we are out for a meal apart from telling the time or getting transport home. When Iphones started entering the household it was almost a joke we'd get sucked into them but the bloke started reading from it for time to time when we were out (many years before I got a smart phone) and I would blatently bring out a book/ newspaper and read in the restaurant that would freak him out a little.

Broken the habit now mostly but it is something that bugs me, I found myself reaching for my phone a lot over Christmas due to my sister doing it. I tend to read alot when I visit to avoid the screen argument but it is a bad habit.

My irk of the day is a certain member of staff keeps finding the "hidden stash" of chocolates/ biscuits left over from Christmas and ALWAYS plonks it on my table (staff room is made of 3x tables pushed together) right in front of me for everyone to share. She KNOWS I'm dieting, not that I have to deny everything all the time but its bad form when its early stages and its stressing me out to the point I have my lunch quicky and need to leave the room at times. I havn't cracked yet but ffs woman leave me alone!

[JazzFunk]

"A frog in a well knows not of the great ocean." Hey, I don't like this one at all. Trapping a little frog in a well? That sucks, that's really cruel. Of course it's not going to see the big blue sea the lack of sunlight alone will kill it pretty quick. Sure, locking someone up is a good way to make sure they don't see what you don't want them to. But this is a terrible saying, and I don't like it at all. Poor little froggy...!

[fishbowlhead]

"A frog in a well knows not of the great ocean." Hey, I don't like this one at all. Trapping a little frog in a well? That sucks, that's really cruel. Of course it's not going to see the big blue sea the lack of sunlight alone will kill it pretty quick. Sure, locking someone up is a good way to make sure they don't see what you don't want them to. But this is a terrible saying, and I don't like it at all. Poor little froggy...!

What if the frog is a serial killer and has been thrown in the well by the eldar frog council?

[Blobcat]

Or just a big jerk?

I like frogs, I spent many a day watching them and getting to hold them when I visited my dad as he and my grandma had a pond full of them!

[randombs]

What if the frog just jumped into the well of its own volition?