New ways of doing everyday things

Not sure if this is the correct forum for this topic; its not exactly about the Technology itself but the use of Technology.

Every generation has their own take on the use of Technology to preform every day tasks. When I was younger the apprent "new" way of doing things were simply "the way"; and I simply didn't pay much thought in older technologies and their uses.

Yes my grandparents had a rotary phone, and I knew how to use it ... but the push button phone was just easier, why wouldn't everyone want to have one.

But now that I am getting older; or more precisely now that my children are becoming independent humans themselves, I am finding it interestingly strange how they are using Technology in ways I would never even think too. I'm not exactly ready to yell at the local kids to get off my lawn, but I still find the "new" ways of doing things to be a bit strange.

As an example that caused my to write this; my daughter was msking plans with her friend yesterday. I heard my daughter talking and then her friend as if they were on the telephone... but after a while I realized their conversation was strange; in that they were each talking in turn for an unusual amount of time. There wasn't that normal quick back and forth you get from a live conversation. They were sending each other video messages back and forth.

Why? A live conversation would have been quicker and allow for greater interaction. And a text message (as my generation likes to do) is simpler and allows for a bit of annanmity (my friends don't need to be all up in my business when I need to tell them something specific).

So what benefits does this "new" video messaging afford people?

What other examples of old and new technologies and their uses amuse you?

just out of curiousity how old is your daughter? this may help with a more appropo dissection of your inquiry.

a reply to: Dandandat3

There's this fun app called "discord" that allows you to video call without needing to record and deliver your conversation in piece meal. Do you know how much memory that kind of thing consumes? People use their phones like they have infinite internal storage and then act surprised when all the junk data, gigabits of miscellaneous media and completely unnecessary "updates" force them to spend hundreds of dollars on a new device each and every year just to get the same features and performance. Good grief. 🙄

originally posted by: GENERAL EYES
just out of curiousity how old is your daughter? this may help with a more appropo dissection of your inquiry.

She is 15

originally posted by: Dandandat3

So what benefits does this "new" video messaging afford people?

What other examples of old and new technologies and their uses amuse you?

One thing I like about texting is the chance to say something without being interrupted. I'm not a very talkative person, but many of my friends can be chatterboxes. Sometimes I have a hard time getting a word in edgewise. A conversation is going on, I want to say something, but I don't want to interrupt. By the time the person stops speaking, someone else takes over and I never get to say what I wanted to say. Or I could be speaking, "Well, that's very, uh, what's the word, um, uh ..." and then someone jumps in and the conversation changes.

I imagine the video messaging would have the same advantages of not being interrupted without the drudgery of typing.

One of my favorite uses of new technology is using it to fix old stuff. I'm an old school shade tree mechanic. I love to work on pretty much anything I have that breaks down, although you probably wouldn't guess that by the amount of cussing I do while I'm fixing stuff. I consider cussing to be as much a part of the repair process as the tools.

When I'm, say, trying to do a more complex repair on one of my cars, I don't have to lug out my factory service manual to the car and get it covered with dirt, oil, and grease. I can scan the pages I need and take that out to the car. Or I could put the pages on a tablet and use that. I could watch a YouTube video of someone else doing the job and pick up some tips to make the job easier. I can find specific part numbers I need to get replacements, etc.

I travel a lot to some very janky locals and GPS makes it much easier to find..... and leave in a hurry should the need arise.

a reply to: Dandandat3

So what benefits does this "new" video messaging afford people?

Used to send voice mails to a friend back-forth. It is good benefit, you can not see each other, but have long deep conversation about topics. You listen to others thoughts and not bring conversation away from the path.

It need more concentration because other can bring out all philosophy in the head. On phone, only reacting each other or try interrupt and say something, add someting. But other can not finish thoughts natural. With voice mail, you can listen twice and then make answer.

More time thinking, less time reacting. Sometime, no time for phoning. TDDA send me ten minute voice mails, I can listen to her like radio and use hands free and do something. Then I turn on recording and talk and can use hands free. Listen to thoughts. I am type who walks when phoning, can not stand still.

Yes, phone call precise but sometime when can both not be close, just voice mail in and when time, listen to it. When time, then answer. Then, when you use reply for voice mail always, you can talk many topics in different voice mail and but keep overlook. And then, is like little present, you see voice mail and can choose moment you listen, with attention.

Is it making sense?

a reply to: Naftalin

Yes it does.

But that was not what my daughter was doing. They were having a simple conversation about going to the movies, what time, who's parents would dive and ect.

a reply to: Dandandat3

It is practical in way that, time shift between hearing and have to answer. Sometime in busy situation it is good. Not have phone in hand, can work with hands. Listen to thoughts and idea of other person.

When I want fluid conversation, I meet the person. All in between, voice mail is practical, for me. Plus, you can answer in situation where it is silent. Now no one do voice mail with me, but last example:

Get information to me and she say about: "I send one last voice mail before I switch on machine, takes two hours, then can listen again". Then I know, how many time to listen to it, give answer or do if she needed things get done.


What it is what I not understand is the snapchat thing. Why send message only visible for seconds, it is like flashing the ding-dong out in street. Oh why?

Older thread, I know, but I had a couple things to add (and I'm sick of world events/politics).

A few months ago at an airport (seems I live in one) I was waiting for my flight to depart and sitting in the gate holdroom. I noticed a family of four (Mom, Dad, Daughter 14-ish, Son 10-ish). All of them had their noses stuck in their phones. Every couple of minutes one of them would exclaim aloud..."NUH UH!"...or..."DID TOO!". Then someone would snicker out loud or giggle and point. I realized they were all having a conversation with each other. Even though the two kids were siting on the floor facing mom & dad (and each other) close enough to touch one another, they were having a text conversation on their phones. This struck me. Why not just talk to one another?

For some reason this exchange was kind of irritating to me so I decided to go get a soda. (I was grumpy anyway, travel and all). As I stood in line at McDonald's I saw no less than (3) other small groups of people doing the exact same thing!

Later, on the flight, I was contemplating this experience (out of sheer boredom otherwise). A couple things occurred to me. I thought those things might be relevant to the OP here.

1. We know from experience (here and elsewhere online) that the written word and text messages lack voice inflections and body language, and are sometimes misunderstood as a result. Almost more importantly, written messages can be used in more deliberate ways to hide behind. People will 'say' things via text which they wouldn't say in person. They use the electronic separation as a barrier.

2. The other thought I had was about how these mediums depersonalize communications. In a face to face conversation, or even a phone conversation, if someone asks a question they likely expect a response (even if this is...'I don't know'). In a text or written communication, the receiver has time to deliberate about how to respond. Often times this deliberation can even involve consulting other sources before they respond (up to and including gathering information they possibly should have had previously). In short, these forms of communication build a buffer zone between individuals.

Now, a hand written letter from the days of old offered some of these same buffer zones between originator and response, so I wondered what was different. I concluded that the difference today is technology creates an illusion that there is no buffer making it seem like these exchanges are real-time when they are not, at very best they are near real-time exchanges or not real-time at all.

I wondered what the future of society will hold as a result of all these differences today in interpersonal communications. Will members of society still be able to carry on real-time conversations? Or, will people all have to resort to some electronic device to communicate?

Given the amount of time I spend at airports, needless to say I see a lot of people, and I see a very wide cross-section of society as a result. One thing I see which is almost universal is social media in one form or other in use virtually everywhere. It's a paradigm shift in the way people communicate.

I'm not sure what to make of all this, and I'm not sure if it's a good or bad thing, but my gut says people not being able to interact with others in real-time is not a good thing. If people are unprepared to react in real time they may react inappropriately when forced to by a given situation.

And that was my thought before I dozed off, only to be so rudely awakened from my uncomfortable position by the thud of the plane touching down in yet another distant city or country, I know not which.

To the point of the OP, I'm not sure having some brief video clip attached to an audio message really changes any of this in any significant way.

That was all.

I find it fascinating to watch people retire from reality into a contrived digital universe of Forums, websites, social media, chatrooms, dating sites, Zoom....everything a person needs to wrap themselves in confirmation bias and fantasy.

Artificial Intelligence the perfect mechanism for operating in an artificial reality.