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Comment by beat | Hacker News Reader

Personally, I'd kinda like to see venues Faraday-cage the concert areas, so people can't get online from them. That way, people could still take photos and video, but wouldn't spend the entire concert on Facebook. (Thinking of this due to a favorite venue of mine, the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis, that has basically zero cell phone reception from the floor.)

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I think photos and video are way more distracting than someone not paying attention.

If I pay for a concert ticket I don't want to be forced to watch it through the phone camera of the person in front of me.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but would this not be a massive security concern? No calls in or out in the case of an emergency seems pretty frightening to me.

While I wholeheartedly agree, the devil's advocate within me likes to remind that we had been mobile phone-less for years with no major concern.

A very good point, my age is showing. Personally, I can't imagine a world that isn't connected (even when I was a young kid, my dad had a pager and my mother had a brick cellphone for work).

> I can't imagine a world that isn't connected

It was a glorious time when you couldn't get connectivity in flight or in national parks. The tether has never been tighter.

In all fairness, cell phone coverage is still pretty spotty in national parks, wilderness areas, etc. And I, for one, don't buy WiFi on planes, in part because I appreciate the time as an opportunity to read books and watch things I often don't have uninterrupted time to.

But, yes, as you see on this thread people are growing up today who find the idea of not being able to be reached or to reach someone (even for a few hours) as unsettling. And, if I'm being honest, I've also thought to myself that if I were going off on any extended solo hiking/backpacking these days I'd start seriously thinking about getting one of those satellite messaging systems.

People should learn to not be anxious of having no connectivity. Self-reliance used to be a thing, and while its inconvenient when you don't have connectivity, it should not cause anxiety.

I think there are circumstances where it's prudent, when reasonably practical, to have the means to summon assistance if things go sideways. However, you should be as prepared as possible to fend for yourself and, as you say, I find it almost bizarre to be anxious/fearful/freaked out just because you're separated from your smartphone.

ADDED: My concern is that there seems to be an increasing expectation that, if "they" don't make cellular coverage available everywhere they're creating an unsafe environment and something needs to be done about that. (And conversely, if I'm not always available, I'm being somehow irresponsible.)

Agree entirely.

Though there is a difference between intentionally blocking something and never having it at all. Airbags didn't exist for most of the time we've been driving cars, but it would be unsafe if you got a modern car and removed the airbag.

We were without antibiotics for hundreds of years but no one's suggesting we go back to that.

We were without mandatory seat belts for decades but no one's suggesting we go back to that.

I just don't find the argument that there was a time where we did without something as a compelling counter argument to the perceived utility something serves today.

I would like to see the impact mobile phones and had on health and safety against the two items you've put forward.

Again, while I agree that it would eschew security for the sake of immersion, not wearing a seatbelt or not getting antibiotics could be a certain death sentence in many everyday life circumstances. Not having a mobile phone would not constitute such a dire situation in my eyes.

Given the impact cell phones have had on auto accidents (someone using their phone in the car is about as dangerous as a drunk driver, statistically), I'd say overall, society is less safe due to cell phones.

And, as I pointed out downthread... when's the last time someone actually had to reach you via cell phone for an actual emergency? Particularly when it's something you need to act on rather than just be informed? Virtually all the use of our cell phones falls into "urgent but not important"... the notifications alerting us that Someone Is Wrong On The Internet.

When was the last time someone contacted you by phone or text for an actual emergency? The stuff that comes via our cell phones is mostly urgent, rather than important... a zillion versions of "Someone is wrong on the internet!" that "need" a response, texts of cat videos, etc.

The problem with this is that many people have that thing out every other song, recording video, and blinding me.

As a tall person, I tell myself that the small person in front of me is just trying to use the camera as an improvised periscope to get a glimpse at the stage.

I always thought that was just a private joke I had with myself, but now that I think of it I can't remember ever seeing a fellow tall person doing the camera thing. There might be a grain of truth to it.

(Now I hope nobody starts calling out Jack White as a sizeist for not allowing electric periscopes)

As a short person. This is something I've done at almost every concert or show I've gone to. I'm there to enjoy the music. Usually will snap a couple pics so I can at least see the stage for a moment instead of heads and shoulders.

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