Georgetown Forces Fans to Surrender Cell Phones for Game
I think this is an interesting idea and I know that some comics have started to do this at their shows as well.
It’s Actual Reality Day at Georgetown basketball game today & fans are turning in their cell phones. pic.twitter.com/2iFTptkYGt
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) January 20, 2018
January 21st, 2018 at 3:46 PM ^
It’s Actual Reality Day at Georgetown basketball game today & fans are turning in their cell phones. pic.twitter.com/2iFTptkYGt
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) January 20, 2018
January 22nd, 2018 at 12:13 PM ^
Honestly, the oddest thing about this whole story (after reading into it further) is that the head coach at Georgetown is Patrick Ewing (which is good to see, IMO, but surprising).
January 21st, 2018 at 3:50 PM ^
From my phone
January 21st, 2018 at 3:51 PM ^
I am truly sorry to post in here, but i thought since it is at top it would be seen. Other than the moderation action sticky, is there a place to report trolls? I posted in there and this maniac is still replying to me. Please delete this post after being seen, i just didn't know what else to do. Sorry again im sure this seems annoying. Really just trying to talk sports with other Michigan Fans/grads.
January 21st, 2018 at 3:58 PM ^
Blink twice if you're being held against your will ...
January 21st, 2018 at 4:28 PM ^
Tell us everything. You’re under a bad, I assume. What do his shoes look like? What color are his pants? Can you identify the region in Russia from which he hails???
January 21st, 2018 at 5:24 PM ^
gotta be Magadan
January 21st, 2018 at 5:51 PM ^
Dave MAGADAN? 1B for the 1990 NY Mets?
January 21st, 2018 at 10:08 PM ^
Just keep him talking--we've got an MGoExtraction Team heading to your location. They have orders to terminate Dave Magadan with extreme prejudice. Bat-first prospect my ass...
January 21st, 2018 at 9:14 PM ^
I've got a very particular set of skills. Mainly drinking lots of beer, um... Yeah, let's just say one skill.
January 21st, 2018 at 4:08 PM ^
Not going to say your name, which is what you want to hear. No one would say who? You would just look or ignore my post. You must be a big loser to have so many accounts on here.
January 21st, 2018 at 4:11 PM ^
I don't think you know my name, and it's not Orlando. Orlando is my middle name.
January 21st, 2018 at 5:29 PM ^
... says the poster with week-old account.
January 21st, 2018 at 4:16 PM ^
He wants my account banned, because I have been exposing all of his accounts.
January 21st, 2018 at 4:06 PM ^
The Mod Sticky is really the only dedicated place to report persistent trolling.
Reporting it in the thread in which it is happening sometimes works, assuming the mods are reading it. Like I tell people, I read a significant sample of the blog, otherwise I would probably be Jason Vorhies on the MGoBlog Camping Trip.
January 21st, 2018 at 3:55 PM ^
For what reason?
January 21st, 2018 at 3:57 PM ^
why should we not use technology to our advantage? This seems pointless to me.
January 21st, 2018 at 4:01 PM ^
What advantage do you gain by looking at your cell phone while at a game?
January 21st, 2018 at 4:07 PM ^
Live stats, quick communication, entertainment during breaks, etc.
January 21st, 2018 at 6:14 PM ^
You always need to be constantly entertained? That’s too bad.
January 22nd, 2018 at 6:29 AM ^
An interesting concept recently discovered by scientists is talking to the person next to you. It certainly fills the quick communication bill, as the signals travel at the speed of sound.
January 21st, 2018 at 9:04 PM ^
Well, some people do need to be available 24/7/365.
Those folks would obviously be very happy to surrender their phone for 2-3 hours; however, those needing to contact that person would likely be quite unhappy.
January 22nd, 2018 at 12:28 AM ^
Depends on the game.
January 22nd, 2018 at 3:23 AM ^
Get out
January 21st, 2018 at 4:05 PM ^
This might be a logistical mess, but I am generally in favor of whatever reduces cell phone use. We've become slaves to them.
January 21st, 2018 at 4:24 PM ^
And it’s only going to get worse
January 21st, 2018 at 7:13 PM ^
I mean cigarette smoking was the exact same way in the mid-twentieth century. Tobacco even paid off doctors and fake medical "centers" to say cigarettes were GOOD for your lungs. Flashy ads. Scantily clad women. Masculine ideals.
Smartphones are literally move-for-move the same phenomenon (in updated modes: Colorful, fast screens. Only for cool, hip people. "Smart" "intelligent" "freedom")
Silicon valley has spent hundreds of millions on neuroscience research to make these things as addictive as possible. Focusing on Dopamine release, and Variable Reward Timing.
The research is in and it's not good. Cognitive decline, decreased creativity, cognitive exhaustion, reduced attention span, increased impulsivity, reduced empathic ability, decreased motor skills, etc.
You can say all you want in some sort of "my life, my choice" argument, or whatever, (and for the most part i grudgingly support that), but I know for sure when I have children, I absolutely will not let them have a smartphone, until at least high school, and even then I'll argue/reward against it. As well as screen time in general for the very crucial 0-2/6/10/14 (but really 0-infinity) years.
I'm banking on there being a huge backlash, like added sugar, partially-hydrogenated oil, HFCS, cigarettes, childhood labor, seperate drinking fountains, etc when people wake up and come to their senses (but as history shows, it's not fast and not everyone comes around.
If not a huge backlash, I'm hoping by then there will be alternative schools/communities who understand the enormous individual, interpersonal, and communal harm that a lot of these addictive technologies have wrought.
January 21st, 2018 at 8:06 PM ^
Before TV? Pre Radio?
As a person of some age, my visceral response is similar to yours. These damn kids and their phones etc. I force myself to think of how many times in history have we done this? I can hear a 50yr old in 1925 railing on about these whippersnappers running all over in their automobiles, they’re all gonna die I tell ya. Then a 65yr old in the 50s saying that the boob tube is gonna ruin your eyes & make you stupid. The shit doesn’t change. Old don’t get young, that’s their job. Young don’t fucking care what old thinks. That’s their job.
January 22nd, 2018 at 6:45 AM ^
Note that we don't allow small children to drive cars. And until recently, you could only watch TV at home (or a place like a sports bar). This is a different age. Kids can use their phones anywhere, anytime.
January 21st, 2018 at 8:32 PM ^
I wonder if there will be a point at which children won't be legally allowed to have smartphones?
January 21st, 2018 at 5:27 PM ^
What if I get separated from people in the arena or something?
January 21st, 2018 at 5:47 PM ^
Go to your seat.
January 21st, 2018 at 11:33 PM ^
Let's say my mom has a medical issue or some shit and I can't figure out where she is. Can't call her. I don't overuse my phone at games so what is the point of taking it? I just came up with a random example of how this could backfire.
January 22nd, 2018 at 7:32 AM ^
she dies
she calls someone else
she waits
she calls 911
someone else is with her
nothing bad happens at all
and in your (admittedly random) scenario, if your mother has such precarious health that you can be out of contact with her for 3 fucking hours then stop the selfish instant gratification and DONT GO TO THE FUCKING GAME!
January 22nd, 2018 at 8:46 AM ^
The section is obviously not a good fit for you. The ESPN article says it's about 50 seats with room to expand if there is more demand.
January 21st, 2018 at 6:13 PM ^
You can’t be serious
January 21st, 2018 at 6:22 PM ^
For all the lost phone-less people.
January 21st, 2018 at 5:33 PM ^
Yeah. Who remembers 20 years ago when people wandered around aimlessly, not know where to go or what to do.
January 21st, 2018 at 6:20 PM ^
AND WE LIKED IT! CUZ WE DIDN’T KNOW ANY BETTER!
January 21st, 2018 at 11:34 PM ^
Yeah and there were payphones around
January 22nd, 2018 at 3:17 PM ^
They called it The Hash Bash.
January 21st, 2018 at 6:25 PM ^
I don't care. Not sure what the point is..as I doubt anyone is going to go to the game just for that reason yet there's people who may stay away for that reason. I'd say it's ordinarily good practice to try to maximize the number of people paying for tickets.
In general though it's a pretty bad idea. Sports events aren't like a good comedy show or movie. Sports events have plenty of moments of boredom where nothing's happening, especially sports with frequent breaks in action like uh basketball. And I'm pretty sure with standup comics it's also a matter of them trying to prevent bootleg video recordings of their shows as they make a lot of money with their DVDs.
I personally use my phone all the time at games. To take pictures, to check info on players, to check scores in other sports, to look up transit connections after the game. I'd simply stop going if they told me I couldn't do it anymore. Again, it's generally good practice to encourage customers to purchase your product rather than trying to drive them away.
January 21st, 2018 at 6:48 PM ^
Carry on.
January 21st, 2018 at 6:56 PM ^
If you feel you are being harassed because someone is always replying to you, that probably means you are posting too much. Now go on outside and play.
January 21st, 2018 at 11:09 PM ^
I think we can all agree there's a point to put our phones down and be "in the moment". A wedding, a first date or a movie. I've had my phone in my pocket for all of those occasions and never felt compelled to take it out as I was more interested in what was happening in front of me. But at a social atmosphere like a sporting event where timeouts, instant replays and half times occur, it'd be great to look at my phone and not be chastised that I need to distract myself from nothing of super importance.
I'd say start a campaign to use your phone less and offer more in-game or halftime activities for fans so the cell phone screens aren't the more attractive time waster than sitting around waiting for the game to commence.
January 22nd, 2018 at 12:02 AM ^
This is so dumb. People really get angry over other people using their phones. fuck off, let them waste their money if they want. 100% I would not turn over my phone, let alone off.