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submitted 1 year ago by Los@beehaw.org to c/technology@beehaw.org

Seventy-seven percent of middle-age Americans (35-54 years old) say they want to return to a time before society was “plugged in,” meaning a time before there was widespread internet and cell phone usage. As told by a new Harris Poll (via Fast Company), 63% of younger folks (18-34 years old) were also keen on returning to a pre-plugged-in world, despite that being a world they largely never had a chance to occupy.

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[-] heartlessevil@lemmy.one 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

If you are longing for a world that you never lived in, there's probably some "grass is greener on the other side" in play. The world before smart phones was considerably worse. I bet that most of the people who are asking for this don't know how to read a paper map and have never seen a phone book. They aren't considering getting lost or into a car accident and needing to find the nearest house to ask a stranger to call emergency services on their land line.

The good news is that, if you don't want to use a smart phone, you can just... not. Nobody is forcing you. If you really wanted a world without smart phones you would already not be using one!

[-] Doom_Cough@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago

That's not entirely true. I have twice in the last year had no other option than to install an app to use tickets I purchased. An many medical services refuse to do anything that isn't online or via an app. It's getting to be harder and harder to not need a mobile device. It's getting pretty stupid. Theine has been crossed already. I lived half my life without internet, I'd survive without it. But the world isn't headed in a direction that makes it feesible anymore unless you just completely check out.

[-] duncesplayed@lemmy.one 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Nobody is forcing you.

That is not really true, I mean depending on your definition of "forcing". Okay, it's true, nobody is holding a gun to your head.

But depending on where you live, it may be impossible to use a taxi. It would be impossible to work at a lot of workplaces. I work at a university where thankfully faculty are not required to own a smartphone, but students are (if you do not check in for attendance with the university's app, you automatically fail the course). Soon here it might be impossible to have a bank account without a smartphone app. Any event that requires tickets, forget about it. We're also getting closer to it being a requirement to see a doctor (some doctor's offices here already do not allow any patients that haven't installed their app, and the number is growing).

There's a lot of soft pressure, too. The supermarket by us doesn't require you to install their app. You can pay cash without a smartphone...if you're willing to pay 2x the usual amount for groceries (which are already quite expensive).

[-] cykablyatbot@lemmy.fmhy.ml 2 points 1 year ago

undefined> if you do not check in for attendance with the university’s app, you automatically fail the course

That is completely fucked. I would refuse out of principle and demand an alternative based on my creed/religion. Linux is a religion, right?

[-] heartlessevil@lemmy.one 1 points 1 year ago

I work at a university where thankfully faculty are not required to own a smartphone, but students are (if you do not check in for attendance with the university’s app, you automatically fail the course)

You could always not work/attend that school

this post was submitted on 17 Jun 2023
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