Smartphone Anonymous? Phone Isolation Boxes

[ChiefKiasu]

sushi88\" post_id=\"2061615\" time=\"1647308658\" user_id=\"100857:

It is finally seen as an \"illness'!!

Are you addicted to the smartphone like using it for 12 hours a day?

I read that there are now businesses which provide boxes to solve this problem called \"phone isolation boxes\". I find it amusing but it's probably a real problem for some people. Would you buy if you have a serious smartphone addiction? :?
I am actually surprised that this can work because what if an urgent call comes in during it's locktime? :scratchhead: I think the other strategy of using old phones with less functions is probably a better one... or 老人电话 better??

Extract from article:
As more people have become concerned about spending too much time on mobile phones and are struggling to break the habit — businesses offering to help users overcome phone addiction are thriving.
“The market has great prospects for growth because numerous apps make it difficult for people to put down their phones once they pick them up,” said Liu Yang, 36, owner of Shiguang Box, which sells “phone isolation boxes” that it says help people reduce screen time.
It requires four simple steps to separate the phone from its owner; open the box, place the phone inside, close it, and set a lock timer. The phone can only be accessed once the timer ends.
According to Liu, he receives up to 800 enquiries about the box every day, and sells up to 2,000 different types of boxes each month on Taobao, an online shopping platform owned by Alibaba Group which owns the South China Morning Post.
While most his customers are students preparing for college or graduate school admission exams, some are in their 30s, 40s, and even older, said Liu.

One strategy is to refrain from using smartphones entirely.
After system updates failed to keep up with the trend, BlackBerry and other older model phones, which have limited access to modern apps, have found a new market among mobile phone addicts.

Source : https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/social-welfare/article/3170427/its-illness-china-sees-boom-businesses-offering?module=perpetual_scroll_0&pgtype=article&campaign=3170427

Lol... a box to put away your phone? Why do you need that? Just get an irritated parent. The wrath that accompanies every confiscated phone after poor exam results will get the kids furiously studying. :lol:

But seriously, if you look at it closely, the personal mobile phone represents the next evolution of humanity. It is something that extends our human abilities, to do that things we've always dreamed of doing and never did, until now. And it will keep evolving. Who knows. In future, probably the mobile phone will disappear and people will just be linked to each other via chips surgically embedded from birth. No need to keep upgrading hardware every other year :razz:

[sushi88]

ChiefKiasu\" post_id=\"2061627\" time=\"1647317559\" user_id=\"3:

Lol... a box to put away your phone? Why do you need that? Just get an irritated parent. The wrath that accompanies every confiscated phone after poor exam results will get the kids furiously studying.

But seriously, if you look at it closely, the personal mobile phone represents the next evolution of humanity. It is something that extends our human abilities, to do that things we've always dreamed of doing and never did, until now. And it will keep evolving. Who knows. In future, probably the mobile phone will disappear and people will just be linked to each other via chips surgically embedded from birth. No need to keep upgrading hardware every other year :razz:

That sounds like a daunting solution albeit effective... This box idea is really amusing because why do we need a special box? Off the phone and pass it to your family member/friend/neighbour for safe keeping until a specified time will save you money.

I wish that day would never come for that kind of connection you talk about, seriously. No foreign objects in the body, unless it really cannot be helped. :lol: On the contrary, I think with technology progressing so rapidly, we have to suffer the pain of upgrading the chip inside our body all the time...

Maybe I will only entertain this for people with Alzheimer disease. If there is a way to have the chip replacing a declining brain before it declines, that would be great! This technology poses other risks too....

Will our generation live to see this happening? :scratchhead:

[Liew Nga Wing]

It only makes me think of those Chips in the collar for dogs and cats. Sigh…

[chenlaoshi]

Actually this \"issue/solution\" has been around quite some time around - been covering this topic as part of oral preparation regarding 手机低头族 (phubber) / 面对面交流 (face to face interaction).


For example, in 2017, there was this https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/fastfood-chain-asks-diners-to-put-away-phones-during-meals-echoing-past-efforts-elsewhere.

https://i.imgur.com/t2skU4c.jpg\">

[Sun_2010]

Need physical box -- must be high level of addiction Wonder how strong the boxes are ?


Arent there apps for this already? So you can set up a routine and even choose the apps that you you are allowed to access during the \"lock\" time. That way say phone calls/sms etc is still accessible but social media apps/ games etc which are the real distractors can be locked away. I used them before - the free version.

[ChiefKiasu]

Yes, there are apps on the phone, but apps can easily be stopped. Reminds me of the stupid \"wellness\" software that Samsung embeds in it's phones which turn the phones to gray scale during \"sleeping\" hours, which I always had to turn off way before the allotted \"waking\" time :roll:


If you are serious in not being addicted to a phone, save money. Just don't buy the phone. Then you also don't have to buy the box. But don't forget to buy me kopi for this tip.

[sushi88]

Liew Nga Wing\" post_id=\"2061636\" time=\"1647320612\" user_id=\"195250:[quote=\"Liew Nga Wing\" post_id=2061636 time=1647320612 user_id=195250]
It only makes me think of those Chips in the collar for dogs and cats. Sigh.......[/quote]

Actually for dogs and cats, chips are put into them because they cannot communicate by words if they are lost....human...as I said, if the technological advancement can help with those losing their memories, ie suffering from dementia, then perhaps this is a solution though it is not ideal..... If you have seen someone suffering from dementia reducing to zero knowledge and function, it's really a chilling experience...happened to my relative.....tragic :nailbite:

[sushi88]

chenlaoshi\" post_id=\"2061640\" time=\"1647321496\" user_id=\"162894:

Actually this \"issue/solution\" has been around quite some time around - been covering this topic as part of oral preparation regarding 手机低头族 (phubber) / 面对面交流 (face to face interaction).

For example, in 2017, there was this https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/fastfood-chain-asks-diners-to-put-away-phones-during-meals-echoing-past-efforts-elsewhere.

https://i.imgur.com/t2skU4c.jpg\">

OMG....seriously locking the phones inside those pigeon holes..... :slapshead:

[sushi88]

Sun_2010\" post_id=\"2061648\" time=\"1647323847\" user_id=\"18393:

Need physical box -- must be high level of addiction Wonder how strong the boxes are ?

Arent there apps for this already? So you can set up a routine and even choose the apps that you you are allowed to access during the \"lock\" time. That way say phone calls/sms etc is still accessible but social media apps/ games etc which are the real distractors can be locked away. I used them before - the free version.

Yeah, it's really funny to me....

Think this app lock sounds more sane...but seriously gotta spend time to set this up ah?
Frankly, the number of things I need to do on my phone is a turn-off for me sometimes...I prefer to simplify until I do not have to do much... I try to delete as many apps on my phone as possible but not all apps can be deleted even... :slapshead: