I find it crazy how much we are watched/listened to.

Couple months ago, sitting at home, I mentioned Honey Nut Cheerios to my wife. Next day, I had an ad for honey nut cheerio's on my facebook account.

So, today in talking with someone, they asked about someone I know and how they were doing. I said the person was treated for Afib. Atrial Fibrillation, a year ago.

Guess what shows up on my home page this afternoon? Afib....an ad.

Hey, I have a 3G Iphone 4. And that thing is picking up what I'm talking about in casual conversation???

One last thing:I got what I'll call "the crud". Cough, nasal congestion, ear congestion, off and on sore throat.........but I sleep with my phone near me. I sometimes wake up at night coughing. And I've been getting, on my homepage and facebook, ads about COPD.

I have never looked up any of these things. Tell me I'm just paranoid.

I would like to tell you that but I'm not so sure.

I’ve read some studies how some apps might listen in the background, but it’s hard to prove.

I’ll dig for this later. Mountain of grading to get through before the game tomorrow.

You still have a 4? Good lord.

Of course your phone listens to you. As do any apps on your phone.

Everything is tracked and/or monitored and that data is sold.

You can go in to settings and turn your microphone off. Turn off tracking/location services.

Additionally, you can use Duck Duck Go as your search engine. They do not sell your search history, location track, etc.,

Here are a couple good reads on the subject from NYT and VICE:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/12/10/business/location-data-privacy-apps.html

https://www.vice.com/en_au/article/wjbzzy/your-phone-is-listening-and-its-not-paranoia

If you use any sort of app that you talk to, then you probably signed of on terms of use that allows the app to collect sound bites to train it's AI to understand you. Of course this would never be misused for advertising and monetization.

Yup. It was my son's first 'smart' phone.

There are NO apps on it.

I'm that person that, when you see a group of 4, 6, 8 people out for dinner, or at a bar? I'm the guy not staring at his phone. I don't see a problem with it.

Society would be better off without smart phones.

I agree. Smart phones have, for the most part, dumbed down society.

Same thing happened to me ... I was literally talking about dress shirts from JC Penney’s ... didn’t search for anything.

About 6 hours later an ad pops up for Stafford Dress shirts from JC Penney’s

Well that explains all the Gas X adds I keep getting.

Dang iy! You caught us!

Don’t feel shamed. Up until a week or so ago I carried an iPhone 5se. I got it for $0.99 when the iPhone 8 came out. It was only my second smartphone, replacing my first smartphone, an iPhone 4, that I got when the iPhone 6 came out. I’m no tech chaser/money waster. I finally upgraded as the replacement battery in my iPhone 5se was starting to fail. I feared losing all my photos on it as my laptop died and I don’t plan on replacing it. Therefore I had no place to back my photos up to... I know there’s the cloud thing but... again I’m not a tech guy. I have no idea how that crap works... and I’m sure it costs money... I’m cheap. Anyway, I caved. I now own an iPhone 11. It’s the first smartphone I’ve ever paid full price for. I paid cash ($995) to save the $150 by not paying in monthly installments. Installments they charge you $5 fees for each month for 30 months. 30 months!!! To pay off a phone?!!?! I’ve paid off cars faster! My hope is this thing will last until the iPhone 20 rolls out. Then maybe they’ll have a deal where I can buy an iPhone 18 for $0.99 so I can upgrade again.
The iPhone 11 is nice. I’ll admit. The camera is a VAST improvement over my 5se’s. The rest of the bells and whistles are lost on me. I don’t use Siri, talk to text, or likely 95% of the rest of what the thing can do. Nor did I use my past smartphones bells and whistles. Get me online, be a functioning phone, take good photos... those are my needs. The rest is fluff.

Agreed. For me anyway. I know too many people that feel they can't function without their phone on them constantly. (wife, daughter, son, most friends)

I often times wonder how much 'life' people miss because they are glued to their phone.

JMO

Largely because they are aloud in public schools,

They must’ve been allowed in your public school.

Based off that comment, your’s too.

Well i'snt this the pot calling the kettel black...

Busted. Lol
Making breakfast and posting at the same time is bad for grammar. Don’t burn the bacon!!!

I am proud to be ashamed of the fact that I have successfully avoided owning one of the smartphones. Nothing against those who do, but I am still alive. Just personal choice. Wife has one when we travel. That is all.

My phone listening to things I say doesn't surprise me. When it starts showing me ads for things I've only thought about is when I get weirded out.

Like this?

In all seriousness, it's kinda scary how addicted we can get to staring at the screen. I know I became cognizant of it after having one for a while.

I shake my head when I go to concerts.

I went to G-n-R and most everyone was just staring at their phone screen recording. One, they aren't actually watching 'the show' and forming a mental memory of the event, and two, I don't know anyone who watches those videos more than maybe once to show their friend (who most likely don't want to watch a concert video on their friends phone).

And don't get me started on those people that in the middle of conversation they exclaim "I have some photos of...." and then spend the next 20 minutes sliding through their phone to find them and showing you other random photos, that you don't give a rats behind about, as well.

People, put down your phones, there's a whole wonderful world out there that is just full of visual entertainment if you look.

I finally broke down and got me one of those newfangled cell phones everybody is talking about.

C'mon man!

It's Bag Phones - They're the future.





Get the optional shoulder strap and you're rockin'.

My old bag can buy her own phone.

Hey!!!! I've met your "old bag"....and she is definitely NOT an "old bag"....LOL

SSHHHHH When they ask us at the store if I need a bag, she chimes in and says "he already married one" before I can

God I love that woman

Strange that I made a living selling business telephone systems, central office voice mail, interactive voice response systems, predictive dialers and all related telephony equipment.

And I hate phones. Only carry one when absolutely necessary. I go to concert and that is all people do is record?? I am thinking what is wrong with you?? You can go to youtube and see and hear better than what you record.

People are obsessed with them. Go to baseball game. People are recording. Stay home watch tv and record.

Go to National Park. You can buy a photo book of pictures by professionals for next to nothing. Damn enjoy what your eyes see.

I don't get it? People text like a live voice is poison.

What did people do before these phones? Why do people feel it is important to take all these pictures of themselves?

Disturbing.

All my thoughts on this are kind of random but here they are:

-Personally I think there should be one day a year where ALL major cell towers are shut off.

-Technology has helped us a lot but its hurt us tremendously. I say that making my living in the field too. Its made people more impersonal, not knowing how to behave or genuinely act in real life situations. The ones you REALLY have to watch out for are these people who have never not had the internet.

-Some other posters talk about how people are on their phones at parks or landmarks, this drives me crazy. Reminds me of when I was walking across the Golden Gate bridge with people on their phones and such. Put them down and be ALIVE, BE IN THE MOMENT. You're at your destination where you may have traveled hundreds or thousands of miles to get to. BE THERE AND LOOK AT THE DARN THING! LOL! People who don't understand that are lost and don't know what's important in life in my opinion.

-One of my favorite things is people looking down at their phone where others are walking. I will NEVER move for someone like this. I just keep walking and see if they're smart enough to look up. There was one time someone ran into me and I said "excuse you."