Tobacco, alcohol, guns and now cell phones

CaliFFL

Some jackass state senator is proposing outlawing cell phones for people under 21. This is his justification: 

According to the legislation, there are links between cellphone use by people under the age of 21 to a rise in driving fatalities, suicides, mass shootings, and terrorism.

“The internet and social media, accessed primarily through cell phones, are used to radicalize and recruit terrorists, fascists, and other extremists,” the bill reads.

Rodgers says he thinks owning a cellphone may be more dangerous than owning a gun.

My observation - The guy believes people with access to information are dangerous. This is a naked attempt at censorship. 







https://www.wfla.com/news/national/proposed-bill-would-ban-cellphone-use-for-anyone-under-21/

Jermanator

I am not exactly sure how my kids would call 911 in an emergency since we haven't had a land line in years.

Make_My_Day

"Senator John Rodgers, a Democrat, said he introduced the bill on Tuesday to make a point."

Well I'll be damned, what a surprise!!

zorba

I think its an EXCELLENT idea. It won't work, is probably unconstitutional, and it'll never fly - but I'm all for it! But why stop at 21?

Said MOSTLY tongue-in-cheek...

P.S. You do not need one to "access information"...

Jermanator

Make_My_Day said:

"Senator John Rodgers, Zorba'a long lost cousin, said he introduced the bill on Tuesday to make a point."

Well I'll be damned, what a surprise!!

Fixed it.

snake284

It was tweeking my interest until I saw this, "Rodgers says he thinks owning a cellphone may be more dangerous than owning a gun." I can see some problems with a kid with his eyes in a cell phone 16 hours a day but this politician sounds like he's into control. What do you expect of a Demonrat?

zorba

snake284 said:

"Rodgers says he thinks owning a cellphone may be more dangerous than owning a gun.

I can go with that!

At least gun owners pay attention to what they're doing!

BamaakII

Well he better bring back pay phones cause you know, sometimes people break down or wreck without a cell phone and need to phone home.

zorba

Yep - which is the main reason I even have a cell phone, no pay phones anywhere! Otherwise, I sure wouldn't mess with the stupid thing. I just turned off texting last week - and my life is already better!

CaliFFL

zorba said:

I think its an EXCELLENT idea. It won't work, is probably unconstitutional, and it'll never fly - but I'm all for it! But why stop at 21?

Said MOSTLY tongue-in-cheek...

P.S. You do not need one to "access information"...

You need the internet to access information. 

How else do you have access to information without the internet? I'll bet you still have a set of 1976 World Book encyclopedias...

North Forest

Greatest addiction/racket since cigarettes. I have a cell phone, I turn it on once a week just to see if the battery is charged. I use regular computers at home and at work to do what I need to do. I can see the appeal, and a need for those like my wife who has to continuously communicate with employees, but for me I actually like occasionally being "not available", and I have no need at all for any social media outside of interest forums like here. I have a land line at home, and like Joe Walsh put it, " Just leave a message, maybe I'll call." Probably won't. Unless its family or business.

sgtrock21

North Forest said:

Greatest addiction/racket since cigarettes. I have a cell phone, I turn it on once a week just to see if the battery is charged. I use regular computers at home and at work to do what I need to do. I can see the appeal, and a need for those like my wife who has to continuously communicate with employees, but for me I actually like occasionally being "not available", and I have no need at all for any social media outside of interest forums like here. I have a land line at home, and like Joe Walsh put it, " Just leave a message, maybe I'll call." Probably won't. Unless its family or business.

We must have been separated at birth. I only have one for emergencies.

zorba

CaliFFL said:

zorba said:

I think its an EXCELLENT idea. It won't work, is probably unconstitutional, and it'll never fly - but I'm all for it! But why stop at 21?

Said MOSTLY tongue-in-cheek...

P.S. You do not need one to "access information"...

You need the internet to access information. 

How else do you have access to information without the internet? I'll bet you still have a set of 1976 World Book encyclopedias...

Yes, it helps vastly to access the internet. My point is you don't need a damn cell phone to access same - in fact, its sub-optimal.

Oh, and 1978 Britannica!

zorba

North Forest said:

Greatest addiction/racket since cigarettes. I have a cell phone, I turn it on once a week just to see if the battery is charged. I use regular computers at home and at work to do what I need to do. I can see the appeal, and a need for those like my wife who has to continuously communicate with employees, but for me I actually like occasionally being "not available", and I have no need at all for any social media outside of interest forums like here. I have a land line at home, and like Joe Walsh put it, " Just leave a message, maybe I'll call." Probably won't. Unless its family or business.

Yep.

earlyagain

Maybe we should outlaw new laws proposed after midnight in the cloud of an over stoked crack pipe???

Gila

earlyagain said:

Maybe we should outlaw new laws proposed after midnight in the cloud of an over stoked crack pipe???

No, we just need to quit feeding them after midnight, then letting them go out in the rain...

NN

We are stuck with cell phones------never see a pay phone in small town America any more.

NN

I bet people thought how the H... will I remember all those phone numbers when they took that wooden box with the crank off the wall and gave them that black thing that went on a table and the woman of the house had a fit about where to put it.

I remember those phones----we just had to tell the operator who we were calling.

zorba

On the table?!? Everybody knows a landline is supposed to be on the wall in the kitchen!

Spk

Some kids aren't mature enough for the technology.

I would just say, bring back the flip phone with it's limited built-in apps and ban smart phones in public schools. Kids really don't need access to the internet when taking exams or access to porn during school hours.

The flip phone should never have gone out of style.

Of course, it should be a parent's choice outside of school.

Btw, you can still talk and text on a flip phone.

Eta: If parents would just educate themselves on smart phone technology they could install apps to manage what their kids do with the technology.

https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/best-parental-control-apps/

zorba

Kids don't need a smartphone period. Neither do 99% of the adults for that matter. But flip phones are still available, and aren't hard to find. In fact, Sonim *FINALLY* just came out with one - I've been lusting after a Sonim for years, but all they made were candybar phones - both smart and non. I don't like the candybar form factor, in fact its one of the major problems with smartphones from the hardware perspective.

But I just dumped texting on my flip - seldom used it, and I was "suddenly" getting SPAM texts. Goodbye, and I'll pocket the $2.50/mo.

earlyagain

Guys they're issued lap tops with internet access during class. Its monitored with some loope holes that do eventually get caught bu school administration if kids get overly curious. Don't ask me how I know 

Spk

School issued laptops, if properly setup by the IT guys, are locked down so kids can't go surfing whatever they want. Their own personal smartphones are not. A teacher might require students to turn the phones off during class time or during an exam but outside of class during school hours it's just about anything goes.

Btw, I didn't say flip phones went extinct just out of style. They lost the popularity contest to the smartphones.

zorba

Btw, I didn't say flip phones went extinct just out of style. They lost the popularity contest to the smartphones.

True enough - I just keep hearing people who say something like "I really don't want a smartphone, but I can't find a dumb phone". They obviously aren't trying very hard...

sgtrock21

snake284 said:

It was tweeking my interest until I saw this, "Rodgers says he thinks owning a cellphone may be more dangerous than owning a gun." I can see some problems with a kid with his eyes in a cell phone 16 hours a day but this politician sounds like he's into control. What do you expect of a Demonrat?

Is the idiot unaware that 18 through 20 year olds can vote?

N454casull

zorba said:

Kids don't need a smartphone period. Neither do 99% of the adults for that matter. But flip phones are still available, and aren't hard to find. In fact, Sonim *FINALLY* just came out with one - I've been lusting after a Sonim for years, but all they made were candybar phones - both smart and non. I don't like the candybar form factor, in fact its one of the major problems with smartphones from the hardware perspective.

But I just dumped texting on my flip - seldom used it, and I was "suddenly" getting SPAM texts. Goodbye, and I'll pocket the $2.50/mo.

Just like 99% of people don’t “need” a car or 99% of people don’t “need” a gun. You don’t “need” to wear a skirt yet you do. 

Why is it you always presume to know what people “need”. I should bust out one of your anti government involvement rants. Seems a lot like the, pot and the kettle. 

Jermanator

I need beer.

Jermanator

And bacon.

zorba

I need a new planet.

Gila

zorba said:

I need a new planet.

Then you should be in Rancho Santa Fe in California.  I heard they had a shuttle service available for those kinds of trips there... 

zorba

Naw, I left California - don't wanna go back!