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Dev
Joined: 18 Apr 2006
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 Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 9:32 pm Post subject: What Do You Think About Cell Phone Culture In Korea? |
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I find cell phone culture here disturbing. You see a lot more people on subways typing silly messages and saying sweet nothings on cell phones than people reading books. To make things worse, many cell phones have TVs on them. What happened to reading books? Didn't Koreans read comic books on the trains like Japanese did? Or is that just the Japanese?
Two other things bother me.
1) People walking slowing while chatting on phones. I think it's rude. It disrupts the pedestrian traffic in busy areas. If you can't keep up with the crowd while using a phone, go to the side and let people who have lives pass you by.
2) Phone upgrades. This might be an Asian phenomenon because last time I was in North America, people weren't replacing their cell phone every 6 months to a year just to get a cuter phone. I've had my cell phone for over 2 years and guess what? It still works fine and does exactly what it was invented to do - call people. Some people may indeed need to change their phones after a year, but I'm afraid most people are just pathetic fashion victims trying to get "the latest thing". What they wind up doing is creating more non-biodegradable garbage for future generations to deal with. Great!  |
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endofthewor1d
Joined: 01 Apr 2003
Location: the end of the wor1d.
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| Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 10:02 pm Post subject: |
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| is there anything you won't moan about? |
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tiger fancini
Joined: 21 Mar 2006
Location: Testicles for Eyes
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| Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 10:23 pm Post subject: |
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| endofthewor1d wrote: |
| is there anything you won't moan about? |
Exactly what I was thinking.... they're not even things worth moaning about though! Korean girls wearing too much make up, people using cell phones in Korea, and popular culture today having no substance are all things Dev has moaned about recently.... Dev are you my granddad?  |
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Dev
Joined: 18 Apr 2006
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| Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 10:30 pm Post subject: |
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| tiger fancini wrote: |
| endofthewor1d wrote: |
| is there anything you won't moan about? |
Exactly what I was thinking.... they're not even things worth moaning about though! Korean girls wearing too much make up, people using cell phones in Korea, and popular culture today having no substance are all things Dev has moaned about recently.... Dev are you my granddad? |
Yes, I might be your grandad. But that would make you about 5 years old.
No, I'm just a keen observer of society and a fan of George Carlin - but I'm not funny like he is. |
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Hanson
Joined: 20 Oct 2004
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| Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 10:51 pm Post subject: |
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Well, I actually agree with Dev on this one. Materialistic and keep-up-with-the-Kims-ish, and downright silly. Camera phones, MP3 phones, PDA phones, phones with games, color-screen phones, slide phones, flip phones, mow your lawn phones...
Man, it's just a phone! If my last phone didn't die on me a few months ago, I'd still have my wonderful 2001 model; big, clunky, and no special features.
About the text-messaging, it may just be a cultural gap type of thing. And remember that young people love keeping in touch with their friends about absolutely everything. I remember my dad putting a limit on our (my sister and I) house phone usage. If Pat called a little late in the evening and my dad answered, he'd say "Hanson will talk to you tomorrow..."
I do wonder, however, why more people don't read on the bus/subway. |
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Young FRANKenstein
Joined: 02 Oct 2006
Location: Castle Frankenstein (that's FRONKensteen)
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| Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 11:18 pm Post subject: |
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| Dev wrote: |
| I find cell phone culture here disturbing. You see a lot more people on subways typing silly messages and saying sweet nothings on cell phones than people reading books. To make things worse, many cell phones have TVs on them. |
That doesn't bother me. Cellphone button sounds, now THAT bothers me. Nothing more annoying on the bus or subway, trying to read, and have a guy a few seats down playing some cellphone game and all you can hear is Beep Bleep Bleep Bow Bow Bow Beep (pause) BeepBeepBeepBeepBeepBOW
| Hanson wrote: |
| If my last phone didn't die on me a few months ago, I'd still have my wonderful 2001 model; big, clunky, and no special features. |
Mine was a 1998 model... not even colour. Just plain monochrome text, no special ringtones, no alarm settings, no music, no nothing. Finally had to upgrade at the beginning of 2005.
| Quote: |
| I do wonder, however, why more people don't read on the bus/subway. |
It's funny, when I do notice someone reading on the bus/subway, I'd say 5-6 times out of 10 they're reading an English novel. And not Harry Potter, either. I've seen Koreans reading Chomsky and other "highbrow" type stuff. Strange. |
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Banana Bender
Joined: 24 Jun 2003
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| Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 1:43 am Post subject: |
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I met a Korean today and when he asked me my phone number and I told him I didn't have one, I got this
Korean : Ok , what is your home phone number ?
Me : I don't have one of those either.
Korean :
Korean : How do I get in touch with you then ?
Me : Write me a letter .
Korean : 
The look on his face made my day. |
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Homer
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 8:44 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| Materialistic and keep-up-with-the-Kims-ish, and downright silly. Camera phones, MP3 phones, PDA phones, phones with games, color-screen phones, slide phones, flip phones, mow your lawn phones... |
A sad tendency indeed.....
It is sadly present in many, many countries. |
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Natalia
Joined: 10 Mar 2006
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| Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 9:36 am Post subject: Re: What Do You Think About Cell Phone Culture In Korea? |
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| Dev wrote: |
I find cell phone culture here disturbing. You see a lot more people on subways typing silly messages and saying sweet nothings on cell phones than people reading books. To make things worse, many cell phones have TVs on them. What happened to reading books? Didn't Koreans read comic books on the trains like Japanese did? Or is that just the Japanese?
Two other things bother me.
1) People walking slowing while chatting on phones. I think it's rude. It disrupts the pedestrian traffic in busy areas. If you can't keep up with the crowd while using a phone, go to the side and let people who have lives pass you by.
2) Phone upgrades. This might be an Asian phenomenon because last time I was in North America, people weren't replacing their cell phone every 6 months to a year just to get a cuter phone. I've had my cell phone for over 2 years and guess what? It still works fine and does exactly what it was invented to do - call people. Some people may indeed need to change their phones after a year, but I'm afraid most people are just pathetic fashion victims trying to get "the latest thing". What they wind up doing is creating more non-biodegradable garbage for future generations to deal with. Great! |
Please, for the love of God, get rid of your freaky Amitabh Bachchan avatar before I commit suicide. |
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ella
Joined: 17 Apr 2006
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| Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 10:57 am Post subject: |
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I bet Amitabh Bachchan has a cell phone. 
Seriously, though, I despise them, myself. Can you get through life in Korea without one? |
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The King of Kwangju
Joined: 10 Feb 2003
Location: New York City
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| Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 11:09 am Post subject: |
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| Banana Bender wrote: |
I met a Korean today and when he asked me my phone number and I told him I didn't have one, I got this
Korean : Ok , what is your home phone number ?
Me : I don't have one of those either.
Korean :
Korean : How do I get in touch with you then ?
Me : Write me a letter .
Korean :
The look on his face made my day. |
Truth be told, most people here in Canada would think you were a bit odd, too. I would gamble that you wouldn't get too many "letters." |
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ella
Joined: 17 Apr 2006
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| Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 12:11 pm Post subject: |
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| That's what email is for. |
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cdninkorea
Joined: 27 Jan 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 2:57 pm Post subject: |
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| The King of Kwangju wrote: |
| Banana Bender wrote: |
I met a Korean today and when he asked me my phone number and I told him I didn't have one, I got this
Korean : Ok , what is your home phone number ?
Me : I don't have one of those either.
Korean :
Korean : How do I get in touch with you then ?
Me : Write me a letter .
Korean :
The look on his face made my day. |
Truth be told, most people here in Canada would think you were a bit odd, too. I would gamble that you wouldn't get too many "letters." |
Depends on where. I know in Fredericton, New Brunswick people get teased for having a cell phone. |
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Qinella
Joined: 25 Feb 2005
Location: the crib
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| Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 3:35 pm Post subject: |
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| Yeah I find it really disturbing that people have other interests than me. Personally, I like to read on the subway, but it's so hard for me to concentrate because I see other people playing with their phones or watching movies on handheld devices. So I just sit there cursing them in my head, wondering why they can't be more like me! |
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The Man known as The Man
Joined: 29 Mar 2003
Location: 3 cheers for Ted Haggard oh yeah!
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| Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 3:41 pm Post subject: |
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| Homer wrote: |
| Quote: |
| Materialistic and keep-up-with-the-Kims-ish, and downright silly. Camera phones, MP3 phones, PDA phones, phones with games, color-screen phones, slide phones, flip phones, mow your lawn phones... |
A sad tendency indeed.....
It is sadly present in many, many countries. |
No apologist there |
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