The Ping of Death

webecedarian · 7 Dec 2020, 06:59 AM

Appreciating life - via death reminders.

The App That Reminds You You’re Going to Die
It helped me find inner peace

I welcomed these grisly reminders into my life in the hope that WeCroak, along with half a dozen other mindfulness apps, could help transform my iPhone from a stressful distraction into a source of clarity and peace. According to a study by a research firm called Dscout, Americans check their phone an average of 76 times a day for a cumulative two and a half hours—and while many would like to cut back, simple willpower isn’t always enough. Amid growing concerns over our phone fixation, Silicon Valley has, in typical fashion, proposed technology as the solution; there are now more than 1,000 mindfulness apps designed to help us disconnect.

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine...-pings/546587/

TenFour · 7 Dec 2020, 07:14 AM

I look at and use my smartphone a lot, but on the other hand I don't feel addicted to it in the least. I routinely go for walks in places around here with no cell service so it is easy to disconnect, and while I am at work the phone only gets picked up on breaks. I guess I am not an addictive personality. Periodically I test myself by just leaving the phone at home and going about my routines without it. Don't miss it particularly, but always nice to get back to it and check up on things too. The ones I really worry about are all the people who drive while looking at their phones or texting. I see them every day, often wandering into my lane if I am driving, or coming way too close if I am on the bike. Those people are addicted and will kill themselves someday.

7 Dec 2020, 06:59 AM	#1
webecedarian Essential Contributor Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: NYC Posts: 479	The Ping of Death Appreciating life - via death reminders. The App That Reminds You You’re Going to Die It helped me find inner peace I welcomed these grisly reminders into my life in the hope that WeCroak, along with half a dozen other mindfulness apps, could help transform my iPhone from a stressful distraction into a source of clarity and peace. According to a study by a research firm called Dscout, Americans check their phone an average of 76 times a day for a cumulative two and a half hours—and while many would like to cut back, simple willpower isn’t always enough. Amid growing concerns over our phone fixation, Silicon Valley has, in typical fashion, proposed technology as the solution; there are now more than 1,000 mindfulness apps designed to help us disconnect. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine...-pings/546587/

7 Dec 2020, 07:14 AM	#2
TenFour Master of the @ Join Date: Feb 2017 Location: USA Posts: 1,722	I look at and use my smartphone a lot, but on the other hand I don't feel addicted to it in the least. I routinely go for walks in places around here with no cell service so it is easy to disconnect, and while I am at work the phone only gets picked up on breaks. I guess I am not an addictive personality. Periodically I test myself by just leaving the phone at home and going about my routines without it. Don't miss it particularly, but always nice to get back to it and check up on things too. The ones I really worry about are all the people who drive while looking at their phones or texting. I see them every day, often wandering into my lane if I am driving, or coming way too close if I am on the bike. Those people are addicted and will kill themselves someday.