I was reading about “pet bots“. No wonder people are depressed. We’re human. We have human hearts. We have human needs.
Is your primary relationship with your cellphone or some other device? A Tablet? A Playstation? A TV? Seriously, I’m asking this.
Are you primarily focused on something that does not have a beating heart?
Venus in Leo wants to know!
Potent poignant stuff! Giving this some thought…
Potent stuff, Elsa! Sorry, put in wrong email on that last comment >_>
I read somewhere this week, we might want to consider not allowing cell phones to under-18-years-old so that people would not be so stupid.
If it shocks you to read that, think about it a minute.
https://elsaelsa.com/forum/lounge/the-internet-makes-people-think-they-are-smarter-than-they-are/
My laptop is my phone, as I work from home. I interact with people all day long, via emails, FB, etc. but dont own a cellphone, so when I do step out I feel free, can focus/observe the world. I meet people in very small groups or one on one (coffee, dinner, lunch, theater, etc.), and I enjoy it even more so. Guess I’m a bit of a loner, but by forcing people to communicate through email (to reach me) they are more consistent, keep their appointments.
I’ll admit, I focus on my smartphone more than I do my real life a lot of the time. I think this would change of I were actually happy with my life. I spent several months last year without a smartphone and without internet and I can’t say I was any happier, but I *was* more present in my life, and I felt more clear. In a way, I was more unhappy without the escape- I realised how isolated I am. I live a long way from the place I want to be, where my family is, and I don’t have much of a life here outside my husband and my son. My husband is an islolated person and he prefers his life this way, and our synastry is pretty repressive. For whatever reason, even though my husband doesn’t necessarily stop me from having a life outside of him, at the end of the day, I just don’t have the energy to try to open myself to anything or anyone irl…we have a t-square in synasry with my Mars and his Saturn/Cap moon. I just feel oppressed in every way…I know it doesn’t necessarily matter *where* I live, and location isn’t going to necessarily make a difference in my feeling oppressed… I tell myself that, and that’s what has kept me here for so long…confusion. Sometimes knowing astrology is like a double edged sword. I know it’s not his fault. I always wonder if I’m supposed to accept feeling this way.
I deactivated fb a few months ago in order to see what it was like without that distraction, and now I spend too much time here on EE.
Definitely Not! Years ago I read a Ray Bradbury (?) story set in the future in which everyone lived in little holes in caves. Their entire lives were lived through the TV screen and no-one had any physical connection to another human being. I found it chilling to read but I sometimes think those times have come! Currently there are so many communication devices but less and less actual communication.
I used to enjoy some of his stories, especially because they were so future-focused.
One that struck me was the one about a boy living with his mother. The father is an astronaut, and the mother goes into depression when he is out in space, and only comes to life when he comes home safe, and alive. She takes the point of view that if on one of his journeys, he were to be killed on a specific planet, that she would avoid it for the rest of her life. It turns out the husband (and father) dies in the Sun…so she avoids daylight forever.
No. People don’t understand it either. My job has a half ass no cell phone policy that they don’t enforce and all of my co-workers say they don’t understand how i can function without my phone being on me. We don’t use our phones for work, so that is how I can function without mine being in my back pocket.
And sadly, that was part of the demise of my last relationship. He was aquarius and LOVED technology. He had and iphone, a galaxy, an xbox 1, a chromecast, netflix, amazon prime…any form of non-human distraction. I have venus in leo…
I can see myself rejecting human companionship completely. I get so disgusted and disappointed and just plain old pained from people, that I swear…just give me a sex robot and I’d be good, lol. I could limit my existence to just communicating electronically…
But then I think about my children and I couldn’t cut myself off from them, no matter what.
There was a point in time when I lived by myself that I had no TV or phone and just had a shitty old radio, and I was very content. Then 9/11 happened and I got myself back onto the technology train. Oh well.
it is sad, but i notice it is important for people working in business, they need their laptop, cell Phone, mobile, work Phone, work laptop everything technology to keep in touch with clients, bosses, customers, ect. We know people who work in blue collar jobs, like plumbing and welding and they have cell phones too, to get in touch with, for their business, but i dont think it’s as used much when you’re working as a CEO, district management, or some kind of business. They’re pretty much living in their computers to make money. My husband is in business, and i see that alot. My sisters man is in programming, and high tech stuff and he has a laptop, computer ect and they both have cell phones. At home we watch netflix together, but when we’re on vacation, we do not watch tv at all!!! it’s all about hiking, biking, boating, ect. It really is a big change.
I do notice when we go boating (just use the weather app) or vacationing or even a day trip, we aren’t connected to the devices. We have no clue what’s going on in the world until we get back. It’s actually really refreshing.
@Allie, thats nice actually. I keep forgetting that there are very few houses/cottages that we hire on vacation that have television. But if there is one in the house, (we have gone to places on vacation where there is a tv) we will look through the guide to see if there is a movie on that we like after dinner. But usually, no, the entire day from morning to the evening till dinner there is no tv. We’re pretty strict/disciplinary about it, so thank goodness. 😛 Last year we were in Belgium and Germany and only Belgium had a tv in the house. My husband and i are Always in the same room when we use our computers, infact the same big table. lol
We have no tv on the boat (it’s small) and just use it as a camper at a marina, spend the day doing outside stuff, maybe see a tv in a bar. Even in a hotel you’re just going all day, maybe catch a bit or the sports scores before we crash. If we’re out of the country there is little on in English except CNN or BBC and who wants to watch tv anyway!
I had one semester in school with no TV. It was great. But I do like talk radio, to this day. Haha. Old school.
We both got iPad 2’s about maybe 2012 or whenever they came out. Anyway, we haven’t upgraded and used text apps to talk when we were away from each other. My husband only had a work cell phone, so he is more careful about what he does on it. I just got my FIRST cell phone this year at age 50. But I see us using it less than other people. We see the kids using it and texting all the time, when others are around and we just don’t do that. He watches the shows he likes and I’m usually on this forum or reading or stuff on my phone. We’re in the same room, with each other. We don’t have Netflix or cable movie shows, TiVo, DVR, nothing.
But I do love my phone for texting, forums, Kindle app, photo editing apps for my shop, Twitter, reading and learning anything online in an instant.
My husband and I avoided getting cell phones until 2008 when he had his first heart attack.
The necessity of the situation made us change our minds about it (it was a true emergency).
It’s true. The cells help in these situations. We have aging parents and I know people have dealt with health issues forever but cell phones are really such a help for safety.
i have babies. sometimes i forget my phone all weekend…
Yes and I hate it. I want a man.
I have many men in my phone.
Too bad my phone can’t double as a vibrator.
I’d be allll set.
I’ll bet that’s not far off!
I should find someone smart to work out the kinks…get a patent and go on “Shark Tank.” Ha.
(Venus in Aquarius in the sixth.)
I was thinking that exact thing, Aqua sun and your Aqua Venus really likes that! Go, Cap Mars, go!
I spend all my free time texting with my phone or on facebook on my laptop. We limit screen time for our kids. But my husband and I are not teaching by example, that’s for sure. Food for thought, Elsa, thanks.
Thats always been my opinion of social media all along it gives the illusion of being connected but you are not really you are just tuned into the others show, their presentation of themselves it is not real, there is no real connection and it is interesting to see though also very sad how most young people have difficulties picking up on non verbal communication they have difficulty making eye contact or understanding beyond the words used.
Overall I think balance in all this is optimal, if we choose to use the technology. I’ve met wonderful, interesting people, I conduct business, I can learn anything. But facetime is invaluable as well, to connect with the pulse of people and ideas, to conduct business, and I am a strong believer in reading cues!!!
I think kids don’t need all this technology and time structured by adults – they benefit by free time to figure out how to entertain themselves.
I work in media so I deal w tech all day– but I am aware this is not life and I make serious time for reading actual books, long walks, talks w friends, playing w pets, visiting, seeing things. My husband is so obsessed with all his gadgets he’s become boring and it’s killed communications and I got fed up and actually moved out for awhile. I can’t see a whole universe out there (I’ve lived around the country and world, seen so many lovely things, met so many people) and watch someone waste hours of his life on his phone and iPad. Enjoy that stuff but live too. Life is short, a dear friend died young suddenly in Feb and I am not able to waste a day anymore with someone who has to decompress every waking hour with a freaking phone and internet.
Let me rephrase something — it IS life now, yep, and we meet each other and share ideas and it is good but it is NOT “ALL” that is life. It is not, in the end, Life, breathing, warm to touch, moving in front of eyes, creating things. It is not air and ocean.
Yes, unfortunately my primary relationship is with my laptop. I’m not happy about this. But all the people I care about, live in other parts of the country/Europe, and Internet is the only way for me to keep in touch with them. Running my site and keeping in touch with my readers wouldn’t also be possible without this device. I’m also at a point in my Life where I don’t have many other options than this. I still think there’s a line between connecting people and BINDING them… and in my very humble opinion most are yet to realize that line has been crossed by now.
My work partner and I bought a cell phone LAST YEAR – one phone for 2 people! Only use it when outside the office, and completely forget about it the rest of the time. However, neither of us have family or friends that have to be tracked, or have to track us – can be reached at work or at home. I know it sounds like the middle ages, but it seems to work…
Not that I’m against tech, working on the computer is such a progress. I think many people can’t even imagine what work was like before – oof, the hours spent making stuff by hand!
Otherwise I use internet to stay in contact with friends who live overseas. EE is the only blog I participate in (it’s great!!!). I work on the computer all day, but don’t have one at home. For the last 15 months haven’t looked at TV, went back to reading. Radio gets on my nerves, at least the stuff available here.
Sounds pretty dull and lonely, I guess, but I’ve never been much of a socializer (due to Saturn conj Sun, opposite Moon?).
I’m amazed at the number of people (I live in a very populated town) who cannot do anything anywhere without being on the phone. I always wonder what is so important and urgent that they need to talk about, 24/7.
But, this is France – blabla and chronic BS are one of the national products.
Sorry, long post – maybe I need to communicate?????!!!!!?????!!!!
Been living here too long!
My cell phone broke about a month ago. I didn’t really miss it, and procrastinated replacing it. By some miracle of God, I plugged it in weeks later, and now it works and with all of its functions. I thought it was interesting that Mercury was retrograde. I like what Satsun says above. Every day no matter where I go, I see people looking like automatons, walking around with their face in the phone. What really is communication? On the other hand, I love it when you think of someone and suddenly the phone rings, and it’s that person also thinking of you.
yep one of mine is. I have several primaries tho 🙂
Welcome. Chris. 🙂
I don’t have a cell phone or any mobile device. Does this mean I’m single?
Ha ha! Good question!