The impact of the iphone and its consequences

I know this might sound dramatic, but I believe that the invention of the iphone in 2009 fundamentally changed the human experience in a way not seen since like.. fire.

while other notable inventions like the car, or electricity, allowed for further movement or greater comfort or expanded technological options, none of them changed the way we interact with our world or the people around us nearly as much as the smartphone. 

I'm curious in what ways you all think the iphone did (or didn't!) change the world

You’re absolutely right, I fully believe this shit has ruined my life lmfao. I miss flip phones. I need to get rid of my smart phone.

I think you're onto something here. The invention of the smartphone allowed social media to flourish in ways we didn't see before. Social media was able to move off of our computer screens into the palms of our hands. I'm curious to see what other people have to say about this subject ^-^

i feel like it definitely did some good in terms of keeping people connected, but that has its downsides too of course. now the wrong people are staying connected to people they shouldn't (any interpretation could apply). now people are so absorbed in their screen that they forget to look up from it. a least with the computer there was the expectation that you'd have to step away at some point, but now it's literally always on you.

honorary mention: the smart fridge. what is that for? why do we need that? so many questions lmao 

I think i may be a little more radical in that i think the general push toward industrialization as a whole has been a fundamental evil and setback for the progress of man. Obviously since the invention of smartphones and the push toward a hyper technologically driven future we've seen rapid effects on a multigenerational level, but it does go deeper than just the last 20 years. I'd argue that since the early 20th century and mass industrialization, and increased world trade, all we've done is ruin the world and peoples lives along with it. But with the continued and inevitable money making machine of A.I. its not going to get any better until it gets a whole lot worse. But i don't know, i try and be optimistic and hope that people, and things will get better in a more direct action, us verses them way. But as we become more and more lazy and subdued and distracted by things like smartphones, things look bleak. But that's just me. Blow up your tv, throw away your smartphone, more into the country, build you a home. 

I totally understand. But it is very difficult to make a switch for some people. Mainly since everything is quite literally on the smartphone itself. Some people cannot afford to make such a big switch to other amenities. However, it is one of my goals to make a switch to get a flip phone. I just have to wait for my parents smartphone plan in a couple years. 

This is a great question. The internet on the phone really did change almost everything. It feels like one of those historical turning points where the world before and the world after are not the same place. On one hand, it opened up access to alternative news, independent voices, and information you never would have found through the old mainstream channels. The government had been in control of the media since Benjamin Franklin bought a printing  press. Before that, getting outside perspectives was hard. Now you can find them.

 The internet also made the tech overlords rich beyond imagination, and their influence is enormous. Algorithms shape opinion. Bot farms, social engineering, outrage cycles all of it is mixed together until it becomes more difficult  to tell what is real, what is pushed. I do not think human beings were meant to be connected to everyone, everywhere, twenty four hours a day. That part feels absurd.

And then there is the phone. I was always more of a computer person. A computer felt like a tool. You sat down, did something, thought about it, worked with it. But the phone changed everything. It took personal computing off the nerd shelf and dropped it right next to the supermarket tabloids. Suddenly computing was fast, shiny, addictive, portable, full of gossip and everywhere. People could scroll, shop, argue, watch, read, post, and react instantly. The phone made the internet popular in a way the old desktop computer never could. And honestly, it is hard to know whether that was good or bad or what. I grew up without the Internet. I know for a fact that you don't need it. But man it is cool. I wish I could put my finger on a good answer.  

I'd be curious about the difference between smartphones and social media, specifically algorithmic social media. Like, having a calculator, being able to look up definitions and answers to interesting questions, even being able to text and call on the go all seem less harmful. I guess the smartphone is really how that was possible, but I think about older social media that wasn't quite addicting, and how I enjoy having a map, and things like my bus pass on my phone. 

But then smartphones ruined a lot of older social games, so maybe I'm just being a smartphone defender and putting on my nostalgia glasses about the first few iterations. Like, was the first iPhone the beginning, or is there a second turning point? This is interesting to think about, excited to checking back in to see what others think :3

as much as i want to completely put the blame on apple, it would be excluding the bigger picture. when the iphone first came out, it was the "trendy" thing to have, much like the sidekick and blackberry were at the time. keyboard phones were becoming less popular, and the iphone was the only phone i remember being all screen at the time. the os and ui were unique, which added to its appeal and made it sorta a "luxury" item. i couldn't afford it at the time, so i got bullied for still having a qwerty phone (๑﹏๑//) what made apple special is that it outlived its own trend, and everything started to accommodate that fact. it's seen as the easier, prettier phone to have because — due to it having it's own os — it's easier for apps and services to optimize for apple products, which means less problems for whoever's using them. 

but back to it being a "luxury" item, people wanted to be seen with their iphone. it was more than just a communication device, and the easiest way to be seen pretty much ALL the time is through social media. blah blah boring yap now everyone has the same lookin' phone and nobody really talks to each other anymore because people are always nose deep into their same lookin' phones. i still prefer t9 and qwerty, tho!! it's the superior form factor ᕙ( ˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ )ᕗ ✧

I generally consider the smart phone a net positive. 

It has given me so much information at my fingertips.  As a person in engineering who frequently works in conditions where laptops or desktops may be not practicable the smart phone has unlocked so much power for me in the field.

The smartphone has given me the power to make informed decisions on the fly when buying used trinkets, equipment, or tech at flea markets and yard sales.

Uniquely to me I am glad to have a portable device that allows me to play tinnitus masking sounds of any frequency and find different ones online depending on the symphony my broken ears decided to play that day.

A common thread I heard out of all my WWII veteran friends before they passed was that our progress in tech has been worth it.  People are not suffering the deaths and illnesses they once were pre-industrialization.