Some get hung up on cellphone use
We asked cellphone users around Dewey Square about their cellphone use and others' habits, and they had a lot to share on the subject:
Sahil Hundal, 22, of Somerville, who works in cellphone marketing:
“I think it adds up pretty quickly. Any tool is a problem, it just kind of depends how you use it . ... When I see people texting one another and they're right next to each other then it's a little ironic.”
Jasmine Byrd, 30, of Medford, a paralegal, and former prekindergarden teacher:
“I don't think I'm addicted. Sometimes I think it's too much and I put it to the other side of the room ... so my eyes don't feel like they're dying. I feel my pinkies start to hurt, I can feel it in my fingers when I hold it like that for too long. I feel like it's a problem for the younger generation. (The cellphone has) got it's positives, but it's definitely a time suck.” Richard Bain, 34, Braintree, who is in management at State Street:
“I don't think it's good. In terms of connecting people it's probably the wrong type of connection. Because I have so much social media at my fingertips too much, it does cut into my time at home with my kids and my wife.”
Sue Marble Cuthbert, 50, of Braintree, who works in nonprofit fundraising:
“I try to give it a break at night, but I do use it. I try to unplug. I have two teenage daughters, and I try to watch their usage and encourage them to go outside and play . ... I would say they recognize the dangers of getting too caught up in it.”
Gary Thorp, 64, of South Weymouth, who works for the Rose Kennedy Greenway:
“I use it for work, when people call me in the field. It's like lifeblood. If you don't have it then you have to rely on other people. It has its place. I think it's a problem for some of the younger people. They don't know when to quit. They need a timeout. I think they're all going to lose their thumbs.”
Wentao Xu, 25, of Cambridge, a software engineer:
“It's a tool that has all of this information that can enhance our capabilities . ... Some of the downsides are that it distances us from reality and people in our environment . ... Your posture get affected because you're slouching to look down at your phone instead of standing up straight. And there's just a whole other aspect of mental health that I guess we don't pay attention to. It makes you get disconnected from the present moment and reality.”