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Didah · Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2014 7:20 am Post subject: Tokyo Zombies

Greetings,

I ran across an article about smartphone zombies in Japan. The story discussed how the Japanese meander down the street in a trance bumping into people while staring mindlessly at their smartphones. This story attributes the zombie trance-like walking to smartphone usage, however, they were walking down the street, driving and sitting in classrooms with the same blank zombie glazed-over stare more than 20 years ago long before the advent of smartphones and apps.

By the way, this phenomena is not confined to Japan -- try walking on the street in any major city in China without having to dodge smartphone zombies. Although, in China there is the extra hazard of bike nazi smartphone zombies.

And now for your reading pleasure:

http://news.yahoo.com/japans-smartphone-zombies-wreak-havoc-streets-041429445.html

water rat · Joined: 30 Aug 2014 Posts: 1098 Location: North Antarctica

In the British nanny state, don't they already have padded telephone poles and hydrants to protect the drooling zombies?

EFL Educator · Joined: 17 Jul 2013 Posts: 988 Location: Cape Town

Smartphone zombies in Japan!!!! Laughing

Miura Anjin · Joined: 20 Aug 2014 Posts: 40 Location: Japan

Docomo made a simulation of what would happen if everyone tried to cross Shinjuku Scramble while looking at their smartphones; you can see it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NDuWV9UAvs

I thought it was quite amusing. There's a BBC article from July with a bit more information here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-28208144

Seems to me like it's happening more everywhere. I noticed it a few years ago in China, more recently in Japan, a lot during a short break in Seoul, and now I see it frequently in the UK. I expect it's only going to increase.

water rat · Joined: 30 Aug 2014 Posts: 1098 Location: North Antarctica

Maybe smartphones are like Transformers except much smaller and intent on making humanity their slaves. If you agree - don't text me! Sad

rxk22 · Joined: 19 May 2010 Posts: 1629

Nothing has changed. I bought a computer back in Jan 2010. Back before Smartphones took over. I bought the Apple on a weekday, late in the morning. People were derping and running into my Apple constantly. I yelled at a few who weren't even looking at all.
Tokyo people tend to not look where they are going/they don't have situational awareness. Smartphones just gives them another reason to not look where they are going.