Post #4164813
2026-07-27 10:14 UTC
Replies (3)
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@RnDanger@infosec.exchange 2026-07-28 13:29
@wigbert@mastodon.world I'm reading this like, "but i think the HPV vaccine is a good thing"
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@ExpiredPopsicle@vt.social 2026-07-28 12:28
@wigbert@mastodon.world Nope. Not a chance. I lived in that era and had a friend group that was mostly online, and lived in a small town where nobody seemed interested in the same things I was. Leaving the house meant being socially isolated I until I was home again. I rarely took photos, because I never bothered to take a dedicated camera with me. I only drove to places I already knew how to get to because using a paper map was too much hassle and there was a risk of getting lost. My ADHD time blindness was constantly causing me to miss work, opportunities, and assignments because I didn't carry a calendar with me. When I finally had access to a flip phone I installed j2me based IRC clients on it in a desperate, awkward attempt to stay connected to my friends. It couldn't multitask so every time I switched out of it the whole thing would have to reconnect. I would awkwardly tether it to my laptop, with an external GPS module, to help me navigate for trips. It was incredibly inconvenient. Back then I always dreamed of having a portable internet connection that I could use anywhere, and I'm not going back. The problems with smartphones are what corporate profit motives have turned them into, not something inherently malignant about the concept. I avoid most of the bad stuff by running a non-stock OS, and I make my phone buying decisions based on compatibility with those OSes.
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@atoponce@fosstodon.org 2026-07-28 21:43
@wigbert@mastodon.world No, for a few reasons. Primarily, I'm in better contact with family and friends now than I was before smartphones, without social media. I've also got the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy in my pocket now. At any time, I can do a text or photo search to get a quick answer to a curiosity, without AI slop. The tools are invaluable. Simple things like timers, alarms, and stopwatches. More complex tools like docs. Maps, beacons, and satellite phone. The tech is too good to pass up.