[habitue]

I would say the author's point about buying things and distraction from being connected is pretty weak. There's actually a tension there: why buy other stuff when you only ever interact with your phone?

You can be a complete minimalist, live in a house with nothing in it, and just lay on the floor in the dark surfing the internet on your phone, chatting with friends on facebook etc, and all of the problems the author complains about will still exist.

[sarreph]

I agree. The link/extrapolation here to general consumerism is tenuous at best.

[HenryTheHorse]

There is a very real problem of people not being aware of their impulse to buy. In fact, it's the foundation for all advertising: plant messages in the buyer's mind well before the buying occurs.

I know that sounds Manchurian Candidate-ish but that's the nature of Marketing and Advertising.

So perhaps the author is not entirely wrong in positing that distraction is, in a way, fueling meaningless purchases?

[habitue]

It's certainly possible, but if true, its in spite of our tendency to have one device we use all the time, not directly because of it

[HenryTheHorse]

You bet. People have been making questionable purchasing decisions for a LONG time. To blame it ALL on a smartphone or some other distraction is a bit simplistic.