[wilsonnb2]

Just sit and think. Watch other people. Read the old Vogue magazines. Listen to the conversations between employees. A lot of the time there will be a TV on or some music playing.

It's really not that bad if you're not used to the constant stimulation that smartphones (and to a lesser extent, all internet connected computers) provide.

[exodust]

> Watch other people. Read the old Vogue magazines

I said "you're by yourself". Forget the magazines, they are the crappiest magazines ever. The pages are sticky, they are awful.

"Sit and think". No, I feel like reading some poetry or philosophy or an interesting article, or listening to music, or playing a puzzle game. I don't want to sit there thinking about the upcoming doctor's appointment.

I'll have my still time later, when I choose, not when a doctor's waiting room circumstance dictates it.

Your problem is you never took control of your smartphone. They can be set to be just an innocent little screen with interesting words or whatever on it. My own smartphone doesn't annoy me, it does exactly what I want it to do. Zero notifications, internet data is off until I need it etc.

[wilsonnb2]

> I said "you're by yourself". Forget the magazines, they are the crappiest magazines ever. The pages are sticky, they are awful.

I assumed you meant "by myself" as in "not with anyone you know". I've actually never sat in a waiting room that was entirely devoid of human life before, but I'm sure it happens in less populated areas.

> Your problem is you never took control of your smartphone.

I don't know where you got this impression. I'm not the person your original comment was responding to - I have a smartphone that I use and like.

> "Sit and think". No, I feel like reading some poetry or philosophy or an interesting article, or listening to music, or playing a puzzle game. I don't want to sit there thinking about the upcoming doctor's appointment.

Those are all valid ways to pass time - so is just sitting and thinking and everything else I said. Being able to do any of those things you listed with the swipe of a finger, even though they are not the usual suspects of Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, and Twitter, is still a form of instant gratification and still has an effect on you. A negative effect, some (myself included) think.

Also, there are plenty of other things to think about aside from the upcoming doctor's appointment.

> They can be set to be just an innocent little screen with interesting words or whatever on it. My own smartphone doesn't annoy me, it does exactly what I want it to do. Zero notifications, internet data is off until I need it etc.

Yes, they can be used like this. I use my own smartphone in a similar manner.

I read something recently (I can't remember what) but it had a quote that I liked.

"You can choose not to use a TV, but you can't choose to live in a world where the TV doesn't exist"

In a similar sense, a person can choose to use a smartphone in a responsible manner or not to use one at all, but they can't choose to live in a culture that wasn't affected by smartphones. They can't choose to live in a world where endless distractions aren't always a few swipes away.

The closest they can get is ditching the smartphone, so that's what they do. It's not just a matter of configuring away the parts of a smartphone you don't like.

[MisterOctober]

^ this is what I do in the above scenario. Also, I usually carry a notepad and pen with me, so I'll often make notes about something that's on my mind or that I'm working on. Or, you know, doodle.