Kinda ironic the article ends with the reporter's phone number.

This site's been my homepage for so long I forgot the URL.

That's OK though cuz it rawks.

YEAH! Let's hear it for a new advertising buzzword!

Because they have their thumbs up their butt?

/crotchety kneejerk reply

/Obvious ...

Nobody spends their life memorizing epic poetry in iambic
pentameter anymore either. Because we learned to write,
and read, and it isn't necessary.

Same with strings of numbers and other non-essential junk.

Why waste brainCPU cycles and memory on things that can
be done by machines?

Now who am I again?

Better than the stupid farking title my generation has; "Generation X" indeed. Far as I know, I was never part of Billy Idol's 70's punk group.

quote
``It's one more way technology is making our lives a little bit easier. It's clearing out our brains to make space for more important information,' argues Travis Larson of the Washington-based Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association.

Bullshiat, its just making a profit on people's inability to use their brain.

"What's next? A possible high-speed Darwinian evolution.
Researchers say children who grow up using mobile phones for text messaging - typing short notes on their cell phone keypads - are changing the shape and dexterity of their thumbs."

um, what? something isn't Darwinian unless you're born with it; adapting your behavior doesn't count. These peoples' kids aren't gonna be born with stronger thumbs. Whoever wrote this is a dumbass.

[``It's one more way technology is making our lives a little bit easier. It's clearing out our brains to make space for more important information,' argues Travis Larson of the Washington-based Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association.]

This quote frightened me.

kurt-roges

I call it shotgun evolution. When you use things a certain way, genes get activated while others get deactivitated. Let's see if this gets passed down to kids-- it would mean a few genetic adaptations would take just a generation or two as oppose to a few thousand.

Kids these days use their thumbs for masturbation?

Kinky.

One of Einstein's colleagues asked him for his telephone number one day. Einstein reached for a telephone directory and looked it up. "You don't remember your own number?" the man asked, startled.

"No," Einstein answered. "Why should I memorize something I can so easily get from a book?"

In fact, Einstein claimed never to memorize anything which could be looked up in less than two minutes.

And yet the article writer thinks he's discovered something new.

i know all the numbers i use frequenlty by memeory. it's a pain in the ass to scroll through the phone book on my phone to call my buddy for coffee. it's all the long distance numbers and numbers i don't call that often that the phone book is for. most times its easier to hit seven buttons on the key pad than scroll.

it's all about being efficient in all aspects of life. use as little energy as possible. i could have made this post more efficient and concice by using one short word (obvious), but i'm dumb.

Well, I for one, never remember my cell phone number. Why should I? It's on my business card and I never call myself there (I prefer to send myself e-mails).

um, what? something isn't Darwinian unless you're born with it; adapting your behavior doesn't count

ding ding ding!

That is Lamarckian Evolution and you are correct Kurt-roges

You would however be amazed at the number of people that can't tell the difference between Lamarck's and Darwin's theories. I blame comic books.

I use my thumb for spacebars, dancin' and thumbwrestling!

I don't have a cell phone which makes me a genious.
-K

My god, this is so mind-numbingly dumb I can't even formulate a response.

It's not like people are using their elbows - it's the GODDAMNED THUMB. You know, the little opposable digit that's helped set humans apart from other creatures? Wow, so people who use one of their fingers more frequently for relatively more precise movements develop better dexterity with that digit and increase its strength? FAAAAAAAASCINATING. And this is going to set off an evolutionary jump, eh? And, so, people who don't have to dial out commonly used numbers any more end up not memorizing those numbers? FAAAAAAAASCINATING.

Holy christ ...

Actually, it's the generation of my cock.

Heck, this is what we teach our engineering students. Why waste time memorizing formulas that you can look up in seconds in an CRC? We'd rather spend class time teaching them HOW to do the equations than how to regurgitate(sp) random symbols...

/grad student speak

Whoa... I need sleep... please ignore all my spelling and grammar, I probably shouldn't be in grad school now.

i'm part of that generation... my thumbs are normal...
damn! outcast again!

Complete waste of space.....the article sucks. I could be considered part of the "thumb generation" but then again i don't have a cell phone or anything that stores phone numbers. besides what ever happend to paper and a pen?

Bunch of drivel. Who paid this asshat for this article? They should ask for their money back.

I am a proud member of the Middle-Finger Generation.

Now, I may have muscular thumbs, but that's a side effect of playing Video Games ever since I could grasp an object.

Kids can't remember numbers, eh? I wouldn't know about that. I've always had to regurgitate numbers for family members. 988-3621. That would be Trey's number. He's not my friend or even my acquaintance. He's a friend of my much younger brother. Why do I know that? I've just had to say it so many times.

Well, as a card carrying baby boomer I must confess that my head is a terrible place to keep information. That's why I write things down.

I would use my thumb, but I have no idea where it has been.

Do you bite your thumb at us sir?

Nah, I'm just dialing my phone

The calculator is to math

AS

The internet is to X

In one of the Platonic Dialogues, Socrates laments the invention of writing because it will destroy memory...

I like the fact my phone keeps so many numbers.
I hate learning.....new, uh.......whatzit now......WORDS!
That's it.
Ya, I hate learning new things because my........uh.....MIND..forgets things sometimes.

I often.....where the hell was I going woth this?

Oh, one more thing: Can someone tell me why we're giving children cellphones?

I've got some of the STUPIDEST numbers memorised, frmo back in the day before I got my mobile. I can tell you the phone number of my first girlfriend, adn we broke up 10 years ago (XXX)481-3195 (yes I know the XXX, I don't want anyone getting any ideas). The 16 digits of my old credit card, replaced in 2001. My dad's old work number (he's been retired 8 years). My mobile number and home number when I lived in Australia 2 years ago.

I am so glad I don't have to memorise that crap any more. I only wish I could replace all those numbers currently in storage with some images of nice boobies. Oh well...

ayt six seven fiyive three oh niyeeyiyeen!!!

I can't remember my own phone number sometimes. Yet I have no problem remembering 867-5309...

I play video games!

potato_chip_eating_geek
Thanks, I was gonna cut&paste that same set of sentences. Why do people think they are technological just because they use technology? I eat food I'm not a farmer. Most people who think they've discovered antibiotics when they remember the difference between a right click and a left click really are pretty oblivious to everything. If you tried explaining to them how the actually technology in a cell phone works they would bleed to death out their noses. Yes I'm venting so what?

Did I hear a niner in there?

Are you talking on a walkie talkie?

I thought it was the Rosy Palm generation. Pr0n sells.

Nintenfreak
Can someone tell me why we're giving children cellphones?

It's cheaper than implanting a tracking device in a childs nasal cavity.

``It's one more way technology is making our lives a little bit easier. It's clearing out our brains to make space for more important information'

More important information, eh? You mean like which number to dial to vote for Clay or Reuben?

Please.

More like the dumb generation.

I voted for Nikki.

I believe the thumb vs. index thing. The morons who ring 2 or 3 apartment bells at one time with their thumbs should be deprived of said digits.

I for one, welcome our heavily thumbed overlords

I voted for Kodos

Youth of Today? They still around?

Nope, didn't read the article.

For a second there I thought this was going to be about those farking stupid "Thumbation" things Steve Odekirk does. Man those are farking retarted as hell.

Poor girl in the article can't remember the numbers of her 80 closest friends.

My wife is a generation X'er, I'm a generation thumber, only 2 years difference but yes you can tell the difference and I'm and very very dissappointed with several born after 1985.