Do you commonly carry those around with you? I'm not mistaking a resturant for a library, i just want to kill time until my food comes out.

Is there a reason why someone sitting by themselves reading a book on the e-reader app on their phone is more offensive than someone sitting by themselves reading a dead tree book?

▲

bluebarbet 2 hours ago | parent | next [-]

>someone sitting by themselves reading a book on the e-reader app

I was this person. Eventually I gave it up because I didn't want to be mistaken for just another screen-addled zombie with no impulse control miserably scrolling Whatsapp and Instagram.

Perhaps I have too much self-awareness but I'd argue most people have too little.

▲

bawolff an hour ago | parent | next [-]

> Eventually I gave it up because I didn't want to be mistaken for just another screen-addled zombie with no impulse control miserably scrolling Whatsapp and Instagram.

So you gave it up not because you are worried about being a "phone addicted zombie" but because you are worried about being precieved and judged as such?

Some would say changing your behaviour due to social insecurity is just another form of being a zombie.

	▲	bluebarbet 19 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		Not sure it would make me a "zombie" exactly but I agree it's an oddly incoherent position to judge the behavior of others while also being concerned about their gaze. Much introspection has not yet pierced this mystery.

▲

fc417fc802 an hour ago | parent | prev [-]

> ... I didn't want to be mistaken for ...

Who cares? They're strangers. If they want to make faulty assumptions and feel an unjustified smug sense of self superiority that's none of my business.

At this point I read ~all books on my phone as a simple matter of practicality. I'd prefer my phone had an epaper screen and grayscale page centric apps (instead of scrolling) but that's just not how things are.

	▲	bluebarbet 15 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		>on my phone as a simple matter of practicality Yes, I came to the same conclusion. IIRC I read Great Expectations on the thing! In my case scrollability was a bonus. Horses for courses.

▲

Acrobatic_Road 2 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

It's not hard to bring a book with you. People did it before phones.

And I don't know what you're doing when you're transfixed by your phone and I'm not going to peer over your screen to find out.

▲

bawolff an hour ago | parent | next [-]

> And I don't know what you're doing when you're transfixed by your phone and I'm not going to peer over your screen to find out.

Nor should you, talk about injecting yourself into something that is none of your business.

	▲	Acrobatic_Road 16 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		Oh, it's everyone's business. Phones are eroding the social fabric.

▲

fc417fc802 an hour ago | parent | prev [-]

You dodged the question. You don't know what he's using his phone for. Fair enough. Is there a reason that privately looking at the screen is offensive while privately looking at a book is not?

	▲	Acrobatic_Road 18 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		It's a more social activity in a world that is increasingly isolated. A book is a nice conversation starter. I'm not going to come up to you and ask about what's on your little screen. Even if you're just reading an e-book the phone contributes to the perceived loneliness of those around you. If you really want to read a book in peace, try a library.