How much time do you have to anticipate being idle before you will take out your smartphone and do whatever on it?
I think if I anticipate more than 30 seconds to 1 minute of idle time when I am alone I will use my phone. If I am with someone else, I will rarely take out my phone since I personally think that’s kind of rude.
I can play one game of Wixel during a typical commercial break, and it is a better use of my time.
If I know I’m going to have idle time I usually bring a book. Otherwise, I have a so-so crossword puzzle app on my phone, but I can only play it for a few minutes before it makes me tired (eyestrain, back sore from hunching over).
If I know I have nothing to do but wait, say at an airport, I’ll sit down and check if I have any messages. If I don’t have my Kindle with me, I may start reading on my phone as long as I’m indoors (can’t see it in bright daylight). It’s nice the Kindle and phone sync.
I may play some poker on my phone if I’m really bored and don’t feel like or it’s too distracting to read. Mostly though, my phone is a hella good tool for keeping in touch with short messages (email and text), and occasional phone calls.
It’s less about the idle time itself and more about what I might want to do. If I want to double-check the weather for tomorrow and I have an empty 20 seconds, I’ll pull out the phone and do it. Looking at e-mail needs a minute or two. If I’ve done both of those relatively recently, I’d probably fall back on reading a book, which needs at least four or five minutes of idle time.
I agree about it being rude when you’re with other people. Something quick that isn’t too distracting is OK, but I’ve had it up to here with my current house guest who will tune you out in mid-sentence at the dinner table to check a text message or a Facebook update.
I sometimes watch baseball with a copy of Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations on my lap. During commercial breaks, I read a few quotes at ramdom.
I do not own a connected device, besides my main computer, which is what I’m watching baseball on. So I had to read the thread in order to find out what the hell “idle time” is. I have a landline, and it would never occur to me in a million years to phone somebody just because it is between innings.
I don’t own a smartphone. And if I did, I wouldn’t let it overtake my entire life.
For example, waiting in line at a store - probably check the news.
Taking a long elevator ride, probably check news
Walking to get food while on a lunch break, probably listen to a podcast
For me it’s filling up gaps that would otherwise not be used.
:rolleyes:
Thanks for the non-sequitur.
Anytime longer than five minutes or so. Quite frequently to check in on the Dope or Facebook.
The lack of poll option for people who refuse to get smart phones saddens me.
I only take my smartphone on long trips in the car - for safety reasons.
Other than that, I DON’T USE IT!
So I go days without touching it. I read “books” for entertainment or walk my dogs.
Much much more than 10 minutes but to be honest I don’t have a Smartphone. But the book in my back pocket often comes out after say 5 minutes.
If I know I have more than 10 minutes, I usually grab my kindle instead of my phone. But if I’m only on a short break, I’ll just bring my phone. I check my news feeds, see if I have any Facebook notifications, do a crossword puzzle, check the weather.
You can read “books” on your smartphone while waiting for the doctor to see you. And it’s difficult to walk the dogs while in line at the post office.
I vote 1-5 min. If I’m going to be standing around for five minutes, I might as well scan Twitter and see what’s up in the news while I’m waiting.
Hummm… Many times I have what is called a “conversation”, with other people, while I wait. Or I simply do nothing. Quite relaxing!
Since I am from the era before cell phones, I am still used to amusing myself without one. In fact, my cell phone is usually turned off and resting in pocket. I don’t get people that have to be on the all the time. It seems like being in Orwell’s 1984 where everything you do can be monitored.
An oversight on my part to be sure.
I actually prefer to read on my phone than a separate Kindle or even hard copy book. It’s much more convenient, syncs across my devices, and I don’t need to separately think to carry another device or a hard copy book. I always carry my phone so I have nearly everything with me all the time. I find it’s very convenient.
Since the question specifically asks “re: smartphone use” you ought to expect that.
Myself, I prefer not dragging innocent strangers into involuntary participating in amusing me, which is called “rude”.:dubious:
For more than a couple of minutes of idleness with no opportunities for people-watching/contemplation/scenery, I’ll fire up the news app on my Android and catch up on the sad state of current affairs.
Actually us older folks consider it rude for someone to sit there using a cell phone and not say a word to anyone else! I’ve had people come over to my house and do that. They go to bars and do that. Can’t they just stay home and “text”?