I’m not advocating for anyone to drop their use of them, I understand they can manage a schedule, bring images from far away to you, all of that. But I’m going to remain unhappy with people’s dependence on them for social engagement rather than turning to the person next to them. Especially the children they ignore as they scroll through whatever it is they scroll but they’ve made more important than the child who depends on them for so much and sits there waiting for mommy or daddy to look up which they don’t do.
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I’m more than with you on that. As I said in my first post. My brother’s cell phone manners are excellent, and that’s what he’s teaching his kids.
I don’t talk, text and drive. Just don’t. But my wife and I both take our tablets when we go out to lipunch, and read while we eat. We also read while we eat at home. We both work from home and are together more than 8 hours a day, and talk to each other all the time.
But, because we read while eat, which keeps us from talking with our mouths full 
people think we don’t bother to interact with each other. We appear to be exactly what you complain about, yet in fact, spend more time interacting with each other than devices.
Again, I’m not talking about general stupidity, walking into the road, ignoring your kids, not limiting their screen time into their late teens, but don’t be so quick to judge those of us with different patterns. We had a 13 year old neighbor house sat for us. He loved to have dinner with us, because we all read at the dinner table. We talk while cooking and after eating.
You may not believe it but I never say anything to people I see using them in an addictive way, including family members who keep on eye on them while engaging with the rest of the family at get togethers. But FWIW the husband who is not as computer literate as I (which may not be as much as many people I can think of) tells me I’m addicted to my desktop and wonders what it is I find so fascinating and why am I typing so much over the course of several hours every day. Maybe I subconsciously understand (and fear) I’d turn into a phonebot were I to have on.
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The plug in drug as pediatricians would call them.
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Since this is how I’ve made extra money on the side for 30 years of disability, fixing folks computers and doing tech support, I don’t have that problem. All I use my tablet for is to read books. With 2,000+ physical books we were running out of room!
I have to have my phone on the list of things to get before I leave the house, or I forget it.
My brother once said, “ I really hate that you have a disability, but if you didn’t, you never would’ve learned how this stuff works, you’d have been to busy just using it like the rest of us, and I wouldn’t know who to trust with my stuff!” He was right, I’m insatiably curious about how things work…
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So here I am looking through a physical copy of the New Yorker and I find this. Immediately knew I had to share.
P.S. I am being urged to read e-books to cutdown my accumulation, I don’t think I can.
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In NYC, I’ve seen someone walk her dog across the street at a crosswalk (no light or stop sign) while looking down at her phone. A car was coming right at her. It’s insane. What could possibly be so important?
And my personal favorite: a parent and a child walking together, both staring at their stupid phones.
I don’t get it. I rarely bring the phone with me when I leave the apartment.
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hahahahahhah …
as in everything … moderation … 
@daulphin
not that I think that either of you are 'wrong ’ …
as a matter of fact … I think you both are right ----
I just thought it funny and a good representation of
misplaced priorities …
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It’s the ’ popularity ’ thing … I think —
Why … just the other day I saw … // excuse me … I just got a ’ like ’ notice
so I need to go check my profile ----
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