[wortelefant]

The article is quite optimistic about peoples' abilities to transform their newfound boredom into something creative, but as in the example with books, this digital minimalist "healthy" boredom also has its prerequisites to make it work.

By likening social media use to addiction, only the negative effects are highlighted. For example, the waiting line in the supermarket used to be full of aggression, it has become much calmer with phones, and some people might even revert to alcohol or other destructive habits when they feel uncomfortable with being alone. In some cases, distraction can even be beneficial, as playing Tetris reduces PTSD and flashbacks. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/tetris-shown-to-l...

Perhaps a better metaphor might be travelling: When I travel too often and move aroung all the time, there is a certain "up in the air" - emptyness - it feels as if I don't ever arrive anywhere, and I spend far too much time in airports and in transit. When I travel less often, it is easier to enjoy the ride and the experience has a positive impact.

[taneq]

It seems to me like they need to differentiate more strongly between "using social media" and "using the computer". If you only ever look through windows to spy on your neighbours then you'd come to the conclusion that windows are bad and you should limit your exposure to them, yet there's nothing wrong with an excavator driver staring through a window at the work they're doing.

> When I travel too often and move around all the time, there is a certain "up in the air" - emptyness - it feels as if I don't ever arrive anywhere, and I spend far too much time in airports and in transit.

I've absolutely had this. The whole world starts to feel unreal and I start to feel disconnected from everything. It really messes with my head.

[ryanmercer]

>the waiting line in the supermarket used to be full of aggression, it has become much calmer with phones,

What?

Grocery lines used to be people reading magazines/tabloids/tv guides or sending their kid to go get something they forgot, now it's people yacking loudly on their phone or playing candy crush waiting for the person in front of them to finish self checkout.

[folkrav]

I can't remember the last time I heard someone "yacking loudly" at their phone in line at the supermarket. The Candy Crush part is accurate, but not very different from reading magazines.

Not sure what was the point both you and OP were trying to make.

[ryanmercer]

I can't go to the grocery or my second gym without people shouting into their phones or their bluetooth, or worse, sometimes having a conversation with the other person on speaker (for that matter we have a few people that do that here in my office in the break room).

Perhaps it is a midwest thing.

[awb]

Have you been to a sporting event recently? People browse social media and play Candy Crush while the game is being played.

Once I even saw someone watching a basketball highlights video on YouTube during a live basketball game.

[mirimir]

In some places, people tend to get angry when forced to wait. Maybe they don't express it, but it's there. Other places, most everyone chills.

[wortelefant]

I was only referring to the waiting line in my nearest supermarkets, people even used to push their cards into the feet of those in front of them, but now they are busy on candy crush or something else on their phomes. This is not to say it is a better use of their time now, just as an example that not everyone is ready to transform a time without phones into something productive

[SubiculumCode]

One of the few good things about phones on our brains is it helps us from getting angry after a line takes a few minutes.

[ozzyman700]

I have found that novel novelty is the key to feeling good.

Too much novelty too often becomes hard to cope with, too little is too drab.