Thread: the necessity of the mobile telephone - how much?

no need to worry why other people like them, IMO. for me, I usually just use it as a home phone, unless I'm going out to meet someone and need it for that purpose. besides, since I'm a conspiracy theorist there is some evidence starting to come in that if you keep it in your pocket it can cause lower sperm count and some research that those who use it against one side of their head on a regular basis is shown to negatively affect that side of the brain over the long term. short term though it supposedly stimulates brain activity like caffeine.

They're status symbols in Thailand for people who otherwise don't have a pot to piss in. While I don't buy into it either, it may be a better idea to go 20,000 baht into debt for a high-end mobile rather than 800,000 baht into debt for a car. I'd rather Thai people invest in some decent shoes tho. Can you believe the funky feet on these people from years of poor footwear?

I usually leave the damned thing at home. If you can't get hold of me instantly, too bad - send an email.
The worst recent invention has to be text messages: blasted students appear to be addicted to them and if you take your eye off them for a second a whole line will be fiddling under the table in a vain attempt to conceal their texting. According to some students, they pay a vast amount to mobile phone providers for the 'privilege' of sending entirely vacuous messages back and forth to each other. Wierd.

Originally Posted by paully

I usually leave the damned thing at home. If you can't get hold of me instantly, too bad - send an email.

I always leave my mobile home when I go dancing. It's funny seeing Thai girls with their steamed-on jeans, holding their phones while dancing. The pants are too tight for the phones to fit in a pocket. And when someone calls them in a disco, can they actually hear what the person on the other end is saying?

I'm old-fashioned here. I hate cell phones. Almost no one is so important that they need to be able to be contacted 24/7, and far too many people have no phone etiquette and will answer their phone in meetings, church, class, the theatre...

Personally, I mostly use mine as an alarm clock. I won't carry it around in my hand unless I'm expecting an important call, and I won't answer it unless I know who's calling.

I do like text messaging, though, mostly because I hate talking on the phone and it's much easier for me to contact people through texts. Plus, you never have to worry about disturbing someone by calling in the middle of something important.

Originally Posted by paully

blasted students appear to be addicted to them and if you take your eye off them for a second a whole line will be fiddling under the table in a vain attempt to conceal their texting. According to some students, they pay a vast amount to mobile phone providers for the 'privilege' of sending entirely vacuous messages back and forth to each other. Wierd.

Of the 5 rules that I set on day one, number 5 is "No phones/MP3 players." I tell my students if I see or hear one, it goes into my pocket and becomes mine. I have no problems with phones in class.

I only like mine because it allows the wife and I to SMS at odd moments when neither of us is in front of a computer.

I avoided getting one for years and finally broke down and got one...but I don't use it much.

If you think Thais are addicted to the damned things...come to Korea. I have never seen so many people talking all the time...essentially about nothing.