Smart Phones, Dumb People

💎 Taboo Treasures Smart Phones, Dumb People This week on Taboo Treasures, Bruce Witkin and Jeff Levine dial up a blisteringly funny — and painfully accurate — look at humanity’s long, messy love affair with communication technology. We begin with the humble telephone: a marvel that once required etiquette, patience, and a chair in the hallway. Then: the age of spy-gadget glamour — the Bat-Phone, Get Smart’s shoe phone, Cold-War covert comms and pulp-era futurism. But somewhere along the way, the dream curdled… and now billions of us walk the Earth clutching glowing rectangles that track our steps, curate our thoughts, and occasionally zombify us into traffic. It’s witty. It’s weird. It’s a cultural X-ray with jokes sharp enough to sting. And the central question cuts deeper than Wi-Fi: If the machines are getting smarter — why aren’t we? 🔍 What’s Inside • Why Alexander Graham Bell might throw his headset off a bridge • The absurd genius of early screen technology in pop culture • How a “phone” became a wallet, a map, a therapist, and a hypnotist • The 21st-century epidemic of attention bankruptcy • Why “always connected” somehow made us worse at connecting 🎧 Listen to Taboo Treasures For cultural deep-dives, historical oddities, and the artifacts that shaped — and sometimes warped — our world. New episodes weekly on: Apple Podcasts • Spotify • YouTube • Everywhere else you listen 🕯️ Sponsor Shout-Outs Support the partners who support Evio storytelling: • Quince — luxury basics without luxury prices 👉 quince.com/IDES for free shipping & 365-day returns • Mint Mobile — premium wireless for $15/month 👉 mintmobile.com/DEVILWITHIN • ExpressVPN — shield your digital life 👉 expressvpn.com/DEVILWITHIN for up to 4 months free • MOOD — legal THC & CBD delivered nationwide 👉 mood.com/DEVILWITHIN for 20% off your first order • Ollie — fresh, human-grade dog food 👉 ollie.com/IDES for 60% off your first box • Monarch — master your money, build real financial clarity 👉 monarch.com/IDES for 50% off your first year 🎙️ More From Evio Creative • The Devil Within — true crime, possession, and the shadows we carry • The Devil’s Ledger — the strangest story you’ll hear this week • The Ides of April — immersive history, told by candlelight • Criminal Mischief — real cases, honest reporting, Carolyn Ossorio Follow for drops & behind-the-scenes: @eviocreative • @thedevilwithinpod • @idesofaprilpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices