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Comment by toasty228 | Hacker News Reader

Same reason the tech execs kids aren't using the tools created by their parents

You think Tim Cook's kids don't use iPhones? Or that Larry Ellison's kids don't use Oracle Financial Services Adaptive Intelligence Foundation for Anti Money Laundering Application?

Steve Jobs famously didn't let his kids use iPads (and restricted their access to tech pretty heavily, it seems). If you watch the Social Dilemma, it's full of people who invented what we consider fundamental tech, but don't let their families use any of it because they can see the problems it causes. It makes the techno-optimism ring pretty hollow.

Let's not conflate "this technology isn't for kids" with "this technology is bad", though. I wouldn't want my kids using a tablet, but I wouldn't want anyone using a gun.

I wouldn't let kids use a sharp kitchen knife either, but it is still something that everyone benefits from owning.

But do we really benefit from smartphones?

Depends how 'we' use them. Society as a whole probably does not benefit because of the severe drawbacks these devices have for those who can't resist the lure of 'social' media and garbage factories like TikTok. Individuals can certainly benefit from having an internet-connected pocket computer which so happens to also be capable of making and receiving phone calls.

Is it a net benefit to the user or a consistently equal transaction?

For some - like me - it is certainly a net benefit since there is no real transaction other than me buying the hardware and paying ~€2/month for mobile data/cell service:

- the device is 'Google-free'

- I only use free software

- the thing is firewalled for in- and outgoing traffic, only those applications I approve get to access the net

- I use a 'prepaid' data card, 250 GB valid for 2 years for ~€50 (~€2/month) which I won't use up. Last time I could take along unused data to the next 2 years so nothing is lost.

Here's the 'costs':

- between €120 and €170 for the hardware which tends to last around 8 years, i.e. between €15 and ~€21 per year

- sometimes something breaks (battery, screen, speaker, USB connection board) which I then repair, can be anything between €1 and €40 so let's put the repair costs at €24 per device or €3 per year

- €2/month for data and cell service valid in the whole EU (no roaming costs)

- electricity, comes from the sun -> free

- when the device is on I can be tracked by interested TLAs like any other 4/5G device

- same is true for Bluetooth, not so much for WiFi which is normally off and changes MAC address for every connection.

As usual, smartphones are an excellent servant but a terrible master. Having a phone, a music player, web browser, camera, gps all in one tiny package? Incredible. Having a machine that lets me doom scroll tiktok for 10 hours straight? Awful.

Same deal with internet, ai, even alcohol. Plenty of benefits with a side risk of ruining your life / brain / life if you lack self control.

don't use != not allowed to use, pretty sure they use them now

Silicon Valley Executives Are Tech Fans. Just Not for Their Kids

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49396742

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