Foundation Nation
Foundation Nation
S5 - E9: Staying Present in a World of Digital Distractions
Ever wondered about the superpowers hidden in the minutia of everyday life? Let Matthew and Jay enlighten you on how the contents of our pockets and our perception of time wield more influence than you might think. We promise an insightful journey through the seemingly trivial aspects of our daily existence and their profound effects, from the power to stop time in its tracks to the simple joy that springs from witnessing life's small wonders. Together, we'll navigate the omnipresent role of technology, sharing close calls on construction sites and how our smartphones can lead us astray in shopping malls. Listen in as we tackle the critical need to remain present and aware, despite the siren call of our devices.
Join us as we tackle the unexpected health and behavioral consequences of our mobile companions. From the subtle art of avoiding "text neck" to the necessity of disconnecting for our well-being, we've got personal anecdotes and strategies to keep you connected—with respect. Mat and Jay also wax lyrical about the paradox of live streaming – it's a delightful distraction that can transport us to the culinary paradise of a cooking show or the sun-kissed shores of a Hawaiian beach, yet we can't forget the irreplaceable nature of in-person interactions. Discover how we balance the allure of the digital domain with the tactile world around us, fostering joy without losing touch with reality. It's a conversation that promises to connect the dots between virtual escapes and genuine presence, all while keeping you engaged and entertained.
Hello and welcome to Foundation Nation. I'm your host, matthew Cote. Today on the podcast, we're going to talk about some interesting recent goings-ons in our beautiful state and maybe even a few things going on in this amazing round thing we call home. Hey, I'm Matthew Cote and this is Foundation Nation. Welcome back. I'm here with Jay.
Speaker 2:Hi, my name is Jay Solmey, owner of Jay's Technology Solutions. Let's start the frivolity Matt.
Speaker 1:Frivolity, you're going to get tired of that word. So what's always in your pocket, what is always in my pocket, like when I'm out and about it's a riddle.
Speaker 2:I know it's my wallet and my phone and lint yeah, there's always lint.
Speaker 1:Does your lint have AI capability? I?
Speaker 2:sure as heck hope not. That would be scary because it's in my pocket.
Speaker 1:I don't know. That reminds me of a riddle. Okay, so what's dark and black? And never gives up, it takes down mountains and it decimates armies I was thinking a black hole, but now I have no idea.
Speaker 2:Time is time black, yeah sure.
Speaker 1:Yeah, sure, okay, I mean, it has no form.
Speaker 2:It's neither black or white or orange or green or yellow or purple or pink. No, it's just time. What if you could stop time? If I could stop time, then it would be nice to have five minutes of uninterrupted relaxation. Well, if you could stop time, then it would be nice to have five minutes of uninterrupted relaxation.
Speaker 1:Well, if you could stop time, five minutes could be an eternity. You could just stop time, do everything you want, turn it back on, oh, wow.
Speaker 2:Can you imagine being like a construction worker of some sort? Oh yeah, you go to someone's house, you're like, yeah, I'll build you this entire fence today. Pause time, build the fence, start it back up again. And they're like, whoa, it's only been 20 minutes, yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it'd be a pretty powerful superpower.
Speaker 2:It'd be an amazing superpower.
Speaker 2:Yeah, If you had a superpower what would it be if I had a superpower? What would it be? I would. I would want to make it. I feel like I do to some extent, but I want to make it to where every single person I ever meet, even if I'm just walking down the street and they pass by and we don't say anything, that when, when they see me, they feel happy oh, superpower of happiness they feel needed, they feel like they're being heard. That's a good one, because the world today is so so what's?
Speaker 1:the letter on your front. What is it?
Speaker 2:Oh, that could be a bad road to go down. There wouldn't be anything.
Speaker 1:Just a big smiley face. Yeah, anything, this is a big smiley face, yeah just walk around big smiley face people. So many people are just not happy anymore well you know the false reality of the internet it creates. It makes real life seem so dull and not fun.
Speaker 2:Well, because you're emerging yourself into an entertainment area, and that's what a lot of the internet is. Yeah, I mean, you walk down the road or at the mall. How many people are actually on their phone, looking at their phone? Yeah, they're not paying attention, they're on their phone and, oh man, I've seen so many people almost walk into someone else or walk into a wall or a door or a planter or something that's at the mall.
Speaker 1:I saw a guy on his phone looking down, walking through a construction site. Oh, that's bad. He almost walked directly into the trench, like a 12 foot deep trench that was open because they were actively working on it. He was like he, I don't know what. What stopped him, but like literally a half a step before it he slipped and stopped, caught himself and then he put his phone away and looked around to see if anybody saw him and then kept going. I was like I was too far away to yell. I was like this guy is going to walk right in that goddamn trench there was a video online.
Speaker 2:It's been quite a few years. A person was walking at a mall on the phone and they weren't paying attention, and then they tripped over a bench concrete bench which was the water fountain and a little water pond, and they fell into the water because they weren't paying attention that's what you get. I just can't believe it. And then you know it changes how we interact with the people around us. How many people are on their phones in their car. It's crazy.
Speaker 1:It's crazy. And then they get mad. If you drive down the road and you just look at night, you know, right, it's like every person you drive is on their phone, hiding it on their lap or leg, or you know, or just have it like right on the dashboard, you know going.
Speaker 2:Yep, I've seen people watching video and movies and stuff. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you've texted me while I've been driving. I know you have because I've seen it. Yeah, what does it come back to you with when you text me while I'm?
Speaker 1:driving. It's usually like hey, what's up? I'm driving and texting. Um, it's usually like hey, what's up? I'm driving and texting. No, it says a little moon, it says I'm asleep right now, or something like that.
Speaker 2:I have it set to where, when I'm driving, I only get phone calls from people I know. Yeah, when texts or emails or anything comes in, I don't get notified at all. Because I'm driving, yeah, supposed to be paying attention to the road and not have to have the possibility of getting in a bad accident.
Speaker 1:What I have mindset to is through CarPlay. Right, so it says it.
Speaker 2:Right, I have that ability too, but I don't want to get it doesn't show anything, it just says it Right, and that's a fantastic idea. It's just I don't want to have to be trying to respond to text while I'm driving, yeah.
Speaker 1:Even verbally is a distraction even if you're still looking straight ahead. Exactly, you start talking, you're thinking, you know you're losing a little bit of concentration of what's going on Exactly.
Speaker 2:So mine is an automatic reply saying I am driving and I will see your text when I get to where I'm going and I'll respond then, yeah, where I'm going and I'll respond then.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so Well. The way I kind of like convince myself to use the CarPlay verbally with texting is because I feel like I use the same amount of power just listening to my books on tape as I do listening to a text or replying to a text.
Speaker 1:I feel, like my brain is, so it's trained itself to be safe when it's listening to the radio or listening to a books on tape or listening to a text and replying to it, cause if I'm in there listening to a song, I'm singing to it. If I'm in there listening to a book on tape, I'm talking to myself or replying to it. Or sometimes I'll just they'll say, they'll say something on the books on tape that I listen to and I'll just verbally say it out loud to help myself remember it. You know, right. So I feel like that's kind of my benchmark. That's as far as I go, makes sense, you know, but I don't actually, you know, there's just too much. I mean, I have a Class A CDL, I have a motorcycle endorsement, a boater's license and everything, and I chose, probably four years ago, to stop riding motorcycle in this town. It's not what it used to be. No, it's not. It's complete suicide if you're in a motorcycle nowadays.
Speaker 2:I have my endorsement for motorcyclists too, as well as for boating. Yeah, I used to have a CDL. No-transcript. Yeah, I used to have a CDL. That's another story on why I don't have that anymore. You know, when you have seizures, you can't drive a CDL. Oh, seizure yeah oh that little tiny thing, Jeez. Luckily it's under control, but I agree, I haven't had a motorcycle in I don't know 10, you need to be in a gang.
Speaker 1:You gotta be in a gang to be on a motorcycle. Now you know cause. So they make a big footprint.
Speaker 2:Right, stay safe, right, but one guy a gaggle, a gaggle of motorcyclists on the road.
Speaker 1:A murder not a murder. Yeah, they bunch of crows.
Speaker 3:Oh jeez, caw caw foundation nation is proudly sponsored by jay's technology solutions. Call jay's technology solutions. Foundation Nation is proudly sponsored by Jace Technology Solutions. Call Jace Technology Solutions at 253-376-7579 for all your computer repair, it and network solutions.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so what I wanted to talk about today was smartphone in your hand changes how you walk.
Speaker 2:Which is well. We talked about being in the vehicle, too, but we did talk about that. It does changes how you walk, which is well. We talked about being in the vehicle, too, but we did talk about that. It does change how you walk. You're not paying attention, yeah, yeah, to anything, to anyone.
Speaker 1:So what about if it's in your pocket? I'm still messing with you, because are you thinking about what's on it? What was that vibration? What was that little ping ping?
Speaker 2:I have the Apple Watch. So if I get a message, I just look at my watch really quick. Oh, okay, if it's important, then I'll grab my phone. Oh, you know what I do when I need a text on my phone when I'm out and about walking somewhere. What's that? I know this sounds weird. Well, you are a weird guy, don't tease me about this. But I'll walk over to this. I'll actually walk out of the way of the main path and stand next to something that doesn't move. So that way, that's funny, I'm not in the way. Hello, mr Pillar, exactly Because in your next to something you're not in the middle of the.
Speaker 2:Oh, my gosh, all the people at Costco in the big, massive stop. Right, they're at and they put the cart in the middle of the aisle at an angle, yeah, yeah. And then they get upset when you try to get by them and move their cart a little bit Like whatever. But I'll move out of the way, oh, okay. And I teach my son the same thing. Yeah, you know, if he's Pull over also, stop and look at something like jameson out of the way. Yeah, get out of the middle of the aisle, just don't stop and block something, right? How many people block the door. I see I've been behind people on the standing in the middle of the door and they'll walk through a doorway and two steps in. They'll stop, yeah, and not even realize that as people. And then they, then they'll give you that look of when you're trying to get past them. Oh sorry, and they got that like if looks could kill, look Like you're the one who's not paying attention and stopping in the middle.
Speaker 1:It changes your mood. It changes how you walk, your posture, how you get from A to B. These are some of the things they're talking about. People are 10% slower I don't know where that came from 10%.
Speaker 2:Well, yeah, because you're not paying attention.
Speaker 1:Looking down at your smartphone while walking, as opposed to standing straight up, can also increase the amount of load force placed on the neck and upper back muscles, which contribute to symptoms of text neck. Yep, what's text neck? Is that looking down all the time? Oh, and you can't look up? Yep, what's text neck? Is that Looking down all the time? Oh?
Speaker 2:and you can't look up. Yeah, so you know, when you're at a computer screen, right yeah, you're supposed to close your eyes and look away from the screen, at least every 20 minutes. At least try to Right. You know, when you get older, your eyes have a tendency to have an issue creating the fluids and everything you know, basically tears, to keep your eyes hydrated and not having dry eyes. Right, right, that's because when you're at a computer screen or you're texting, you're not blinking as much, so your eyes are drying out. Oh, this is a known issue. And if you don't take care of that soon enough, same thing with tech snack if you don't keep looking up and you look away from it, stretch your neck. You know, you got to do these things to stay healthy. Um, when you see, you see older generations once before computers basically and they're hunched over, right, right, well, our generation is hunching over, long before they ever did and they never had computers. Yeah, right, at least not as soon as we did.
Speaker 1:Hmm, it's a real thing. You got to be time to be a neck guy, a chiropractor, a chiropractor, massage therapist, massage therapist.
Speaker 2:I have both of those and they do a wonder for us and they're they're.
Speaker 1:They focus on neck. What is it? What did I call it? Neck text, neck, text, neck. Well, they don't focus on that text, neck. Let's see. What else did they say? The people walking in groups? These effect were reverse, she added. Instead of feeling more positive after walking, people felt less positive because they're on their phone and they're stressed out. Dangers of distraction. It's just yeah. So I think maybe when you go into the world, enjoy the world, you know. I think what we need is we need the internet to go out for like a month. Yeah Well, and then people realize how messed up it is and then we can move on from it. There's some good things. So if everybody's on the internet, they're not out in the middle of the forest trampling it into the ground, catching it on fire and doing all kinds of things. They could just wear those VR headsets and pretend like they're there.
Speaker 2:Save the forest and the critters. Well, we do have to save the forest, there's no question about that. Yeah, we need it. Trees, bushes, all that gives us oxygen. We get rid of it. We don't breathe. What does a desert make?
Speaker 1:Wind, it makes dust. Yeah, so, yeah. So maybe it's okay we all stay home play on our phones.
Speaker 2:The climates and the ecosystems all help each other. I know it sounds weird, but the desert helps everything else in its own way. It just does. Everything works together.
Speaker 1:So when you're walking, what would you recommend? Be on your phone? Don't be on your phone, oh don't be on your phone.
Speaker 2:If you're walking with someone, actually pay attention to them, yeah, and stand up straight. Stand up straight, yeah. Look around, there's a lot in this world to be happy about. Yes, I agree, and not to sound negative about newscasters, but what would you do, or what would they do, if they had to do 50% of their broadcasts about all the negativity that's in the world, which they do? There's so much negativity, and the other 50% has to be about positive influence events.
Speaker 1:Right, Well, that doesn't make money. That's why they don't do it Exactly.
Speaker 2:They couldn't do it Because and I learned when I, I think I was in like third or fourth grade, so basically about my son's age that I didn't like watching the news. I felt miserable afterwards, I felt sad, I felt It'll drain you. It'll drain you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and even to this day I'll walk into a business somewhere and they got the news on. I'm like huh yeah, another tragedy. Yes, I'm not saying that tragedy doesn't happen, I'm like huh yeah, another tragedy. You know, yes, I'm not saying that tragedy doesn't happen, I'm not saying ignore it, but having it on, especially in a place of business, if you're open eight hours, eight hours of negativity the whole time you're there. You know, put on something positive.
Speaker 1:Well, that's what I tell. Like the people in the call center or administrative offices. I tell them, you know, just watch how to, how to grow coconuts or something.
Speaker 2:You know, put on a live stream, some from somewhere.
Speaker 1:Oh well, they do, they do, they all do. Now they do cooking shows, cooking show all day long. They're watching cooking shows and then you know a certain amount of time and then they're like're like, well, you know, maybe we got to go home and cook those foods.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know, they're happy and hungry but for people who love disneyland, put on a live stream of disneyland. Oh, yeah, for people, because they are. Oh, trust me, we love disney, so we, we there's people walking around live. Yeah, they're showing what they're doing, going on the attractions, showing what the new merchandise is, all this stuff you like. Going to Hawaii there's actually live video streams from Hawaii. You can just enjoy the beach. Oh yeah, that'd be cool. When we were at Aulani in Hawaii, I took video from one of the pools. I just held my camera for like five minutes, just pointed out at the beach and the ocean right there, and then I just created that five minutes and put it into like an hour long, oh, like a video, like a loop, yeah, and then throw it up on the TV when we're cooking or, you know, jameson's doing homework, or we're just relaxing and talking, yeah, and I got the nice Hawaiian beach right there on the screen.
Speaker 1:I would, if I was going to do that, like towards the end I'd I'd be like, hey, kids, shut up, but you don't have, you don't have to go there to get it, you can just go to youtube.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, youtube has, like, so many videos, good and bad yeah, so maybe less time on the cell phones less time on the cell phone, especially when you're walking. Yeah, and don't ever do it while you're driving.
Speaker 1:More time on real relationships in real person? Yes, all right. Well, I'm Matthew. Cote is Foundation Nation, along with Jay.
Speaker 2:Jay Salmi Great having this chat today. Matt, Stay off your phone.
Speaker 1:Stay off your phone, wait, somebody's calling. I got to go.
Speaker 3:Foundation Nation is proudly sponsored by Jace Technology Solutions. Call Jace Technology Solutions at 253-376-7579 for all your computer repair, it and network solutions.
