Cell Phones, Business, Influence on Society

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By coincidence/accident, I got into the cell phone business in 2000, right after graduating. By 2005 after managing a few stores, I got my own store with a high school friend, and it's amazing how those who never had a cell phone just a week before suddenly became addicted and would almost melt-down if they screwed it up. I'm thinking of someone who kept hitting "Airplane Mode". I have a flip phone and barely use it. I don't text. I'm not anti-technology, but I know my concentration/focus isn't what it used to be, and I REALLY notice this from friends/family. I also notice people who used to be so passionate about things aren't. Everyone I knew loved music, went to concerts, and in the last handful of years, I can't find anyone to go, and I stopped going. Although, I did e-mail my cousin, since he does like Chicago, but he flaked out on me before. That's another thing. People's word seems to mean nothing anymore, and because it's becoming more and more common, of course it's more and more acceptable. 99% of communication seems like it's not face-to-face, and instead of answering a person, people take their time with the best reply possible, if they reply at all. "I never got your message. My phone died". One reason I stopped traveling was because everyone was staring at their phone, where say in 2004, it was easy to strike up a conversation with someone, which is a big reason I travel. I'm not a person who wants to see the sights. I like to walk around and observe and get a feel of the heartbeat of the city. It's also very annoying and disrespectful when you're talking to someone, and they're messing with their phone. I also notice people not able to comprehend/remember as much, and I think it's because so much is automatic. Auto-spelling, auto-grammar, auto-sentence, auto-tune (they don't even need to sing in tune anymore!). I think writing with paper and pen would be a good way to exercise your brain, just like doing math long-hand would be. I also think this is why people call things like Twitter "toxic". It's like having a million people in my living room, and most are shouting and screaming. So those who actually want to talk won't be heard, and will be drowned out by the madness.... People might feel anonymous, and might want to stir up trouble with them for simply disagreeing. But those same people would probably smile as they passed you by on the streets. But those who are mean to others online probably aren't seeing their face, their expression, a sad look on their face, who would probably be dissuaded and tone it down a bit.