Are Smartphones Killing Buddhism?

[Inspire]

Are Smartphones Killing Buddhism?

Orlando Barton

 

 

It happens at least once a day. I’m walking down the street in Bangkok and some completely unaware Thai person slams headlong into me because they are face down in their mobile phone and in a hurry to get where they are going at the same time. It doesn’t seem to matter if I am moving or standing still. People are so engrossed by whatever it is they see on those tiny little LCD screens that they lose all sense of where they are and what they are doing.

 

And what are they looking at? Because I’m taller than the average Thai, I have peeped over some shoulders on the Skytrain, elevators and escalators. Mostly they are just distracting themselves with silly games and mindless jabber with friends on one of a dozen apps tailor-made just this purpose. It’s not like they are solving some problem at work or consoling an ailing family member … it is distraction for distraction’s sake for people who are already easily distracted.

 

Before Smartphones took over our lives, roaming around in the Thai public arena was a wonderland of human interaction and reflection. Step onto the BTS or MRT and witness a cluster of schoolgirls giggling and chatting about the day’s activities or some new K-Pop heartthrob. Or maybe a young couple is holding hands and whispering sweet nothings in each other’s ear. Thai people always seemed to be squeezing every drop out of every minute of life. I was jealous of their ability to live “in the moment”; to be where they are and enjoying it to the fullest.

 

Full story: http://www.inspirepattaya.com/lifestyle/smartphones-killing-buddhism/

 

 

 

-- © Copyright Inspire Pattaya 2017-01-29

 

 

 

 

 

[Thaiwrath]

You don't have to draw the line at Buddhism, it is a sad state of affairs really.

[SaintLouisBlues]

13 minutes ago, Thaiwrath said:

You don't have to draw the line at Buddhism, it is a sad state of affairs really.

I'm not sure that it's wholly a sad state of affairs. I've had friends remark that once they were intimidated by gangs of youths on public transport with nothing better to do; now they all pull out their smartphones.

 

What a pacifier is to a baby, a smartphone is to his older siblings and, often, parents. As well, there tends to be the usual inverse relationship - the smarter you are, the less you use a smartphone

[Get Real]

Purely it´s just a sad state of human behaviour.

[edwinchester]

Sat in a restaurant yesterday and a family of four roll up and sit down for lunch. Mum, dad and the two kids each pull out a smartphone and start tapping away with hardly a word between them their whole lunch.

[Get Real]

58 minutes ago, edwinchester said:

Sat in a restaurant yesterday and a family of four roll up and sit down for lunch. Mum, dad and the two kids each pull out a smartphone and start tapping away with hardly a word between them their whole lunch.

That´s what anti-social-media does to people. Social in the made up world, and anti-social in real life. Sad to see that so many people choose that virtual life instead of living i reality.

[SaintLouisBlues]

6 minutes ago, Get Real said:

That´s what anti-social-media does to people. Social in the made up world, and anti-social in real life. Sad to see that so many people choose that virtual life instead of living i reality.

But what would TV do for posters if everyone lived in reality?

[nakhonandy]

Sadly worldwide not just here.

 

Don't get the Buddhism reference at all!

[bluebluewater]

I can't figure out how any of this figures in with Buddhism as the thread title suggests.

[NoshowJones]

1 hour ago, edwinchester said:

Sat in a restaurant yesterday and a family of four roll up and sit down for lunch. Mum, dad and the two kids each pull out a smartphone and start tapping away with hardly a word between them their whole lunch.

I don't think this is just a Thai thing.

[dotpoom]

5 hours ago, SaintLouisBlues said:

I'm not sure that it's wholly a sad state of affairs. I've had friends remark that once they were intimidated by gangs of youths on public transport with nothing better to do; now they all pull out their smartphones.

 

What a pacifier is to a baby, a smartphone is to his older siblings and, often, parents. As well, there tends to be the usual inverse relationship - the smarter you are, the less you use a smartphone

That is a truely new observation that I had never thought about before now. I would have agreed with the article 100 % but you have a point. My Grandad used to "The Devil loves an idle mind".....maybe now there is no such thing as an idle mind since the smartphone has made it's appearance?

[emilymat]

I was taliking to a fellow golfer about the fact I don't have a smart phone and also always switch off my simple phone when on the golf course.

 

His reply "Get a life".  I was quite taken aback

[Get Real]

1 hour ago, SaintLouisBlues said:

But what would TV do for posters if everyone lived in reality?

Ok! Explaination entirely for you.

As for a fact you can live in the real world as a normal human being, and still spend some time with the computer or phone.
Now you know that. Next question?

[edwinchester]

12 minutes ago, emilymat said:

I was taliking to a fellow golfer about the fact I don't have a smart phone and also always switch off my simple phone when on the golf course.

 

His reply "Get a life".  I was quite taken aback

Try calling his number mid swing of a crucial putt.

[Bulldozer Dawn]

The title of this topic/survey is incorrect.  It should read:

 

Is materialism killing Buddhism?

 

Smartphones are just one facet of materialism.

[SaintLouisBlues]

9 minutes ago, Get Real said:

Ok! Explaination entirely for you.

As for a fact you can live in the real world as a normal human being, and still spend some time with the computer or phone.
Now you know that. Next question?

Any chance of getting that in English?

[elgenon]

2 hours ago, bluebluewater said:

I can't figure out how any of this figures in with Buddhism as the thread title suggests.

Please reread it. He explained what it had to do with B.

[elgenon]

I am tired of not only people w their eyes on their phone walking in to me, but all the people that are looking one way and walking another. It's as though I have the responsibility to look after them as well as myself. If they want to walk into me I will be prepared.

 

I can still see taxi drivers are a lot calmer than most American drivers. Still rarely do you hear a horn blasted in anger.

[freebyrd]

How right he was. Smartphones are killing the art of real communication everywhere, not just in Thailand. The Thais no longer enjoy 'sanuk' the way they once did.

Edited January 29, 2017 by freebyrd

[Ryder88]

1 hour ago, emilymat said:

I was taliking to a fellow golfer about the fact I don't have a smart phone and also always switch off my simple phone when on the golf course.

 

His reply "Get a life".  I was quite taken aback

the guy was an ahole.....because you DON'T have a smart phone is precisely the reason you do actually have a life.

[Ryder88]

24 minutes ago, freebyrd said:

How right he was. Smartphones are killing the art of real communication everywhere, not just in Thailand. The Thais no longer enjoy 'sanuk' the way they once did.

wow...Al was dead-on

[Get Real]

1 hour ago, SaintLouisBlues said:

Any chance of getting that in English?

So, that was the best you could do? I do think that you understood, but you really do a good job of making a fool out of yourself.

If you don´t understand I feel sorry for you. Most people here understand what everybody write, even if they don´t have enlish as a native language.

[Panda13]

[off road pat]

I remember the times you walked along the streets, and look to the peoples faces and at this time Thailand was really the land of smiles, the girls smiled back at you.... without no reason just like that...

Just happy I have lived that time....

Edited January 29, 2017 by off road pat

[Freed1948]

4 hours ago, elgenon said:

I am tired of not only people w their eyes on their phone walking in to me, but all the people that are looking one way and walking another. It's as though I have the responsibility to look after them as well as myself. If they want to walk into me I will be prepared.

 

I can still see taxi drivers are a lot calmer than most American drivers. Still rarely do you hear a horn blasted in anger.

As for the 1st paragraph: I don't get out of their way.

[SiSePuede419]

People are still living in the moment...

 

Someone else's moment posted on Facebook. ?

[RaoulDuke]

Ever seen Wall-E? It is currently right alongside Idiocracy for the best glimpse of the future of humanity.  I just hope the whole glasshole movement never catches on.

Edited January 29, 2017 by RaoulDuke

[emilymat]

11 hours ago, edwinchester said:

Try calling his number mid swing of a crucial putt.

Good idea, thanks!.

 

The point was he was holding up the whole game - and the one behind - whilst he had an argument with some woman on the phone.

[Fookhaht]

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[impulse]

Gotta wonder what the OP's doing wrong if he's running into people every day.  Or, as he claims, they're running into him.  Takes 2 to collide, and at 1 km/hr...