Post: #26

Wait a minute....Gmac is that you? Thought you were missing in action!

welcome back dude

Post: #27

(05-09-2013 03:13 AM)Valentine Wrote:  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.

I often ask myself if social media is just a temporary social trend or something that will be with us permanently. Fads do come and go. Before there were smartphones, there was the Tamagotchi crazy in mid-late 90s. For those that don't remember, it was this egg shaped toy that was some sort of digital pet that had to be cared for or else it would "die". Girls would keep checking on them every few minutes when it beeped to "feed" it or play games with it or show some sort of attention. Teachers complained about widespread classroom disruptions caused by the toy. It was huge in Japan naturally but also caught on in the US. The fad came and left. Will social media eventually do the same? Will Facebook and Twitter finally meet the fate of Tamagotchi, Friendster and Myspace? Only time will tell, but I'm not optimistic that it will diminish in their cultural influence because they provide 1) Instant gratification and 2) Ability to feel important, cared-for and popular. Some girl can post some inane shit and have 20 likes within ten minutes. Girls will sometimes even admit to me how traumatized they feel when they post something and it doesn't get many likes. And then they have to keep checking back every few minutes to see if someone "liked" it so they can be vindicated. Shit is fucking ridiculous.

I actually like Facebook and find value in it as far as keeping in touch with people and seeing what's going on with them. I spend more time on it than I'm comfortable admitting, but at least I acknowledge it's a problem and I'm trying to be aware of it. I deleted the app from my phone some time ago but still can check it through the browser interface which is better so I don't have the urge to keep glancing at it. I also disabled just about every notification except for when someone sends me a message. I don't need to be notified every time someone "likes" my status. But even I must admit, I sometimes attention whore with it. I do get a crack hit when I post a photo and 20+ people "like" it.

I think we're all guilty to some extent and try to make ourselves seem as cool and interesting as possible by selectively showing our highlights. There's this girl I know, she lived in another city. I thought she has this fun life because she's always posting pics of her smiling with friends and at parties and looking so happy. When I met with her recently I was stunned when she admitted how lonely she is there and doesn't have much of a social life, to the point that she decided to leave that city. I told her I was surprised given all the happy looking photos she posts on Facebook. She admitted that she's just posting the good times but that's not what most her life is actually like. Everybody just wants to look awesome and popular on there. It's like being back in high school. Studies have even shown that Facebook can cause depression because everybody seems to be winning when you look at their facebook wall. They are all having the time of their life. Except it's selective reality.

Post: #28

Fellas, a Patricia was spotted at the Miami-Indiana game. Right when Paul George was hitting the game tying 3, with about 2.5 seconds to go in the fourth, the most exciting time in a basketball game, she decided that her smartphone was more exciting (sitting in $1000 seats, no less).

Here's a picture:

https://twitter.com/jadande/status/33740...00/photo/1

She's next to the black guy.

Post: #29

I shared this with a female family member, and she liked it. This could get interesting...

Post: #30

(05-22-2013 10:34 PM)TheSlayer Wrote:  Fellas, a Patricia was spotted at the Miami-Indiana game. Right when Paul George was hitting the game tying 3, with about 2.5 seconds to go in the fourth, the most exciting time in a basketball game, she decided that her smartphone was more exciting (sitting in $1000 seats, no less).

Here's a picture:

https://twitter.com/jadande/status/33740...00/photo/1

She's next to the black guy.

You really ain't getting it if you think a woman is at the front row seats of a basketball game to watch basketball. She was probably all over instagram and facebook bragging to the bitches she calls friends that shes 5 feet away from LBJ's cock. This is a huge status thing for females, nothing more.

Reminds me of a story where Kobe's (ex?) wife was at a Lakers game. She runs up to him all smiles and celebrating after the game was over not realizing that they had lost and Kobe missed the last shot 3 seconds before the buzzer.