--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's a big shift in our whole way of…" description: "\"There's a big shift in our whole way of living, and it started maybe 10 years ago when [smartphones] came into existence. Up until then, we were at the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/498/tommy-chong-4039_bigs_there-s-a-big-shift-in-our-whole-way-of_2637968.png" --- # There's a big shift in our whole way of living, and it… ![“There's a big shift in our whole way of living, and it started maybe 10 years ago when [smartphones] came into existence. Up until then, we were at the mercy of the press, and so-called experts that would tell us what to think and how to think.” quote by Tommy Chong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/498/tommy-chong-4039_bigs_there-s-a-big-shift-in-our-whole-way-of_2637968.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/498/tommy-chong-4039_bigs_there-s-a-big-shift-in-our-whole-way-of_2637968.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/498/tommy-chong-4039_bigs_there-s-a-big-shift-in-our-whole-way-of_2637968.png) > “There's a big shift in our whole way of living, and it started maybe 10 years ago when \[smartphones\] came into existence. Up until then, we were at the mercy of the press, and so-called experts that would tell us what to think and how to think.” [Tommy Chong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-chong/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote observes that smartphones shifted control from media and experts to individuals, changing how we think and receive information. **In simple terms:** Smartphones gave people direct access to information, reducing media control. Key Takeaway Embrace critical thinking in the digital age. Themes technology media society information empowerment Mood thoughtful concerned Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal decision-making - education - public discourse - media consumption - digital habits Key Concepts digital media information overload media literacy social change Questions to Reflect On - How can we verify information in a smartphone-driven world? - What responsibilities do we have as consumers of digital media? A Different Perspective Reliance on smartphones can create echo chambers and misinformation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [Experts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experts/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Mercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mercy/) [Smartphones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smartphones/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Way of living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way-of-living/) ## Related quotes > [Kids tell you what they think, not what they think they should think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-sendak/kids-tell-you-what-they-think-not-what-they-think-they-should-think/) [Maurice Sendak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-sendak/) > [ Now the \[smartphone\] has freed everybody, and so everybody gets better. No matter what you say, people will check you out on their phone. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-chong/now-the-smartphone-has-freed-everybody-and-so-everybody-gets-better/) [Tommy Chong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-chong/) > [“I've always said never let anyone tell you who you are. What I think I mean is never let anyone control how you feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karla-diggs/i-ve-always-said-never-let-anyone-tell-you-who-you-are-what-i-think-i/) Karla Diggs > [“You can't predict the outcome. You can't raise a child and then tell them what to think.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/you-can-t-predict-the-outcome-you-can-t-raise-a-child-and-then-tell/) [Aimee Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-bender/) > [People tell you the world looks a certain way. Parents tell you how to think. Schools tell you how to think. TV. Religion. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-anne-moss/people-tell-you-the-world-looks-a-certain-way-parents-tell-you-how-to/) [Carrie-Anne Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-anne-moss/) > [Riposte of "that old lady in the anecdote who was accused by her nieces of being illogical," Logic! Good gracious! What rubbish! How can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-m-forster/riposte-of-that-old-lady-in-the-anecdote-who-was-accused-by-her/) [E. M. Forster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-m-forster/) > [tell me what you think it means.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-marley/tell-me-what-you-think-it-means/) [Bob Marley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-marley/) > [“I think first of the children. What the hell am I supposed to tell them? Then I think about money, the house, all those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-celebi/i-think-first-of-the-children-what-the-hell-am-i-supposed-to-tell/) [Shannon Celebi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-celebi/) > [“Think, I tell myself. Think. Unwrap your brain from the shroud it’s been living in. Think.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valentina-cano/think-i-tell-myself-think-unwrap-your-brain-from-the-shroud-it-s-been/) Valentina Cano > [Please tell me what you think about me. And try to be AHAP.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/please-tell-me-what-you-think-about-me-and-try-to-be-ahap/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When people ask me what I do, strangers on a plane, perhaps, I tell them that I think. Thinking is excellent exercise, as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-glazer/when-people-ask-me-what-i-do-strangers-on-a-plane-perhaps-i-tell-them/) [Tom Glazer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-glazer/) > [In general, I tend to laugh too much. I always try to tell myself not to, but I think that's just part of getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-woodlee/in-general-i-tend-to-laugh-too-much-i-always-try-to-tell-myself-not/) Zach Woodlee > [Obviously people don't want other people to tell them how to think or what to believe, or to tell them what's right politically and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/obviously-people-don-t-want-other-people-to-tell-them-how-to-think-or/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [How Do I Tell You I Love You? How Do I Tell You You're The ONLY Thing On My Mind? We're Supposed To Be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dont-know/how-do-i-tell-you-i-love-you-how-do-i-tell-you-you-re-the-only-thing/) [Dont Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dont-know/) > [“Tell him... You think it's kinder not to, but it isn't.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joey-w-hill/tell-him-you-think-it-s-kinder-not-to-but-it-isn-t/) [Joey W. Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joey-w-hill/) ## More by Tommy Chong > [I've always known, all my life, that I was going to be something special. I never knew what it was, but I always had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-chong/i-ve-always-known-all-my-life-that-i-was-going-to-be-something/) [Tommy Chong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-chong/) > [People try to put ownership on things: 'That's mine, that's my joke.' No such thing. Like if you tripped or stumbled and people go,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-chong/people-try-to-put-ownership-on-things-that-s-mine-that-s-my-joke-no/) [Tommy Chong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-chong/) > [We survived Nixon and Reagan and George Bush, and so we can survive anything that comes along.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-chong/we-survived-nixon-and-reagan-and-george-bush-and-so-we-can-survive/) [Tommy Chong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-chong/) > [The Shades never recorded anything, Little Daddy and the Bachelors recorded a couple of records, ya.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-chong/the-shades-never-recorded-anything-little-daddy-and-the-bachelors/) [Tommy Chong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-chong/) > [I believe that all marijuana is medical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-chong/i-believe-that-all-marijuana-is-medical/) [Tommy Chong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-chong/) > [I look on everything with a very optimistic eye. Because I'm a body builder by trade, you know, that was my intent all my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-chong/i-look-on-everything-with-a-very-optimistic-eye-because-i-m-a-body/) [Tommy Chong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-chong/) > [I'm a hybrid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-chong/i-m-a-hybrid/) [Tommy Chong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-chong/) > [I've always been into improvisation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-chong/i-ve-always-been-into-improvisation/) [Tommy Chong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-chong/) > [I used to joke for years that I was a black man. I adopted the black culture, the black race. I married a black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-chong/i-used-to-joke-for-years-that-i-was-a-black-man-i-adopted-the-black/) [Tommy Chong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-chong/) > [I am off all the cancer meds. Energy is a bit low but other than that, I feel really good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-chong/i-am-off-all-the-cancer-meds-energy-is-a-bit-low-but-other-than-that/) [Tommy Chong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-chong/) > [When they put me in jail, that's when they turned me into an activist. Up until the time I went to jail, I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-chong/when-they-put-me-in-jail-that-s-when-they-turned-me-into-an-activist/) [Tommy Chong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-chong/) > [Marijuana grows everywhere in the world. And it really is currency, if you think about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-chong/marijuana-grows-everywhere-in-the-world-and-it-really-is-currency-if/) [Tommy Chong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-chong/) > [More than anything, the weed really helped with my mental state, because marijuana works on the brain. And if anything, it soothes the brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-chong/more-than-anything-the-weed-really-helped-with-my-mental-state/) [Tommy Chong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-chong/) > [I never did smoke that much pot; never was a big pothead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-chong/i-never-did-smoke-that-much-pot-never-was-a-big-pothead/) [Tommy Chong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-chong/) > [I converted a family-owned strip club into an improvisational acting theater.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-chong/i-converted-a-family-owned-strip-club-into-an-improvisational-acting/) [Tommy Chong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-chong/) [Explore all 117 Tommy Chong quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-chong/) ## More Bigs quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. A human career, too, results from an accumulating series of decisions about large and small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/it-is-said-that-history-turns-on-small-hinges-a-human-career-too/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [I'm a true believer in prayer, a big believer in prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-jackson/i-m-a-true-believer-in-prayer-a-big-believer-in-prayer/) [Janet Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-jackson/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/) [Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/) > [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [Okay, so I'll admit I'm curious. Big deal. We both know what that leads to. Dead cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/okay-so-i-ll-admit-i-m-curious-big-deal-we-both-know-what-that-leads/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [I don't want this to be a distraction. This has been distracting enough. I'm not going to rehash this going forward. I'm sure other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-werth/i-don-t-want-this-to-be-a-distraction-this-has-been-distracting/) [Jayson Werth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-werth/) > [I didn't get how big it was until I went home, turned on the television and saw it on all the news, and later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/i-didn-t-get-how-big-it-was-until-i-went-home-turned-on-the/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [It’s a small thing to help one animal, but to that one animal it’s a big thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-baur/it-s-a-small-thing-to-help-one-animal-but-to-that-one-animal-it-s-a/) [Gene Baur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-baur/) > [Since I was a little child, my nose - I think it's too big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-dion/since-i-was-a-little-child-my-nose-i-think-it-s-too-big/) [Celine Dion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-dion/) > [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [I turn a lot of stuff down - big, big movies, the kind I wouldn't want to go to the cinema to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-turn-a-lot-of-stuff-down-big-big-movies-the-kind-i-wouldn-t-want-to/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [I got in trouble my whole life for having a big mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-tyler/i-got-in-trouble-my-whole-life-for-having-a-big-mouth/) [Steven Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-tyler/) Browse all 15,539 Bigs quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There's a big shift in our whole way of living, and it started maybe 10 years ago when [smartphones] came into existence. 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