The guy said, "smartphones simply enable you to do things that you can't otherwise do". People were taking pictures with their cameras long before smartphones and uploading them. I was using Microsoft StreetMaps (I think that was the name) and a $100 GPS serial device to map trips around the SFBA. People have used a compass to navigate for thousands of years. So yes, smartphones don't do things you can't do otherwise; they are just compact and more fun, if you can them in your pocket. If you can't then you might want to look at a small laptop or notebook, more bang for the buck.
I don't know why this is controversial. You aren't going to carry a camera around with you everywhere you go, nor a GPS, nor a laptop. But you'll carry your smartphone. So you can do more things because you have your smartphone with you.
Anyway, my main point was that culture was the reason for the dark ages, not ability to do things. And smartphones don't override culture.
Talking to the people around you? Newspapers? Books? Telephones? Peoples options? News?
Culture: the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively.
If you don't think that an instantaneous audio/graphical communications device cannot be used as a means to effect culture you are highly confused about what culture is.
As I said, smartphones morph culture in interesting ways. That's a direct product of having access to all of the things you mention. But people are still fundamentally people. If the world believes that war is necessary, smartphones aren't going to change that. And that belief was one of the main reasons for the dark ages.
That's a cynical view. How about: people of every age and level of experience bring what they have to the discussion, and learn from one another. You could do that too, by gently adding your experience to the mix. Doing it without disaffecting your peers gives you extra points.
Its also 'static' to assert that people not like you are dumbheads. Not productive; not even right. You want a discussion, you pitch it at the level of the others in the discussion. There's a large spectrum, and always newbies coming to the arena (or the arena is dead).
