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Former iPod Chief Tony Fadell Believes Apple Should Tackle Smartphone Addiction
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Love this idea. So many times I check my phone just by habit. Pretty much when something is uncomfortable and I need an escape mechanism (boredom, awkwardness, working on a challenging problem). I've been working on reducing device time (just using Apple Watch for text / phone notifications) and noticing that I'm much more productive.
When I used grab my phone and relax, now I work on things that I've always wanted to do, such as learning to cook. I would love to track my usage to decrease it, just like fitness tracking.
When I used grab my phone and relax, now I work on things that I've always wanted to do, such as learning to cook. I would love to track my usage to decrease it, just like fitness tracking.
Make ALL app notifications set to off by default (badge icon, lock screen, and banners).
Before I went into the notifications center and shut all of this down my phone would be sending me notifications several times a minute between social media apps, message apps, email, and calendar. Its hard not to become addicted when your phone is bombarding you with a constant stream of information. And you don't want to feel like you are missing anything. Not to mention all of the other apps sending notifications for almost no good reason. Now that the notifications are off I have found that I decide when to look at or check my phone, not the apps deciding. Plus I can have my phone face up in a meeting without it lighting up every few seconds.
Before I went into the notifications center and shut all of this down my phone would be sending me notifications several times a minute between social media apps, message apps, email, and calendar. Its hard not to become addicted when your phone is bombarding you with a constant stream of information. And you don't want to feel like you are missing anything. Not to mention all of the other apps sending notifications for almost no good reason. Now that the notifications are off I have found that I decide when to look at or check my phone, not the apps deciding. Plus I can have my phone face up in a meeting without it lighting up every few seconds.
While I totally agree that device addiction is an issue for some, it's easy to look at this the wrong way. I remember a few years ago my elderly father who was visiting us saying that my kids spent a lot of time on their iPod Touches (as they had back then). I pointed out that during the day on their iPods they'd made and edited a stop-motion video, listened to music, read a bit of a book, communicated with their friends, played a game, watched a TV show... if they'd done that with a cine camera, editing desk, Walkman, book, telephone, board game and TV he'd probably have remarked what a varied and fulfilling life they were leading.
Trivia Time ... Steve Jobs was famous for wearing a very specific & kind of sneaker ... what is it ?
Only at Apple would wearing khakis label you as a rebel.
Yes, I've heard that remark too, from not just one, but several elderly relatives. (In my inside voice) "But Dad, Mom, Aunt Mary, how much time do you spend on the "big" screen, television?"
I also have to say that I have several retired family members who spend a lot of time with their friends, interacting or playing games on the iPad. There are also many folks in long term care who give meaning to their days on their iPads or iPhones doing many different things. In either case, they aren't "addicted", but now have a way to overcome physical disability and interact with the outside world. I would hate to have the unintended consequences of good intentions deprive them of something they enjoy and which gives them independence.
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Agreed from another mom who also finds the apple watch a bit of a nag
. Likewise, I don't want anyone telling us what to do with our devices. No one can determine what is "too much" for another person. And if I'm using my device(s) too much, it is my personal responsibility to make a change....and Hersey's should educate all their customers about the addictive life sucking abiss their Mr. Goodbar will suck you into.
Because, you know, we never had crazy people until we had smartphones.
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And replaced it with what? Did you provide them with other activities to occupy their time?
Brilliant idea. I would love it. It would work for people with relatively good self-control but who are easily addictive. Feedback mechanisms are very enlightening. For those with zero self-control this would not help, they would just hide the feedback report and wouldn't care.
Because, you know, we never had crazy people until we had smartphones.
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And replaced it with what? Did you provide them with other activities to occupy their time?
They always have activities. I don't want them to "occupy their time". I want them to learn use their time wisely.
So let me see if I get this. You're supposed to fight your "addiction" to spending time on your iDevice by checking your extensive usage log on your iDevice?
And device makers are supposed to log every step and maintain those records [somewhere] so you can see what you've been doing? What could go wrong?
Besides, if device makers admit that they make an addictive / habituating / dependency-creating device by maintaining a therapeutic log documenting that dependency, you can be sure a legion of lawyers will be lined up to collect money to make their clients "whole" again. Not going to happen.
And device makers are supposed to log every step and maintain those records [somewhere] so you can see what you've been doing? What could go wrong?
Besides, if device makers admit that they make an addictive / habituating / dependency-creating device by maintaining a therapeutic log documenting that dependency, you can be sure a legion of lawyers will be lined up to collect money to make their clients "whole" again. Not going to happen.
I think, Tony is 100% right. Apple's Smart Phone Addiction is a MAJOR problem! They get addicted so much, that they throw 3-4 models every year at us, expecting us to renew our phones on a yearly basis. On the other side, they sell us 4th Generation Haswell Mac minis for 499-1999 USD.
This is why addiction makes them crazy.
This is why addiction makes them crazy.
They already do that when they execute planned obsolescence on their older phones. Try using an iPad Mini on iOS 10 or iPhone 6 on iOS 11.
This picture reminds me, Apple truly went off the rails when they fired Forstall. He was the only one who had a clue what Apple is supposed to stand for. Now , Apple just stands for Profits and Thinness at all costs.
Apple's worst mistake ever, firing Jobs.
Apple's second worst mistake, firing Forstall.
Apple's worst mistake ever, firing Jobs.
Apple's second worst mistake, firing Forstall.
Boredom is actually very healthy. There are studies on this. Filling every second of the day is what is causing excessive rates of depression and anxiety.Because, you know, we never had crazy people until we had smartphones.
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And replaced it with what? Did you provide them with other activities to occupy their time?
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No. The real loss was Bertrand Serlet. But no one seems to remember him. Forstall was a dick who didn’t get along with anyone.