It is interesting to consider the dependency that people have acquired on their cell phones, myself included. During my most recent phone shopping experience I recall having been very frustrated at the selection of phones my carrier had available. I simply wanted a phone that would be able to have a basic media package that would allow me to occasionally check my Facebook (Facebook being an issue to be discussed in a later blog post). Instead of a simple phone, the only phones that seemed worth looking at were smartphones and pda's, all which came with more features than I was interested in.
Whatever happened to the days when cell phones were about convenience and functional size? To this date, I still think the Motorola Razr is the best phone that was ever created. The sturdy design allowed for multiple falls without major damage. The smartphones being created today may have more features, but the iphone glass shatters with falls and my plastic Blackberry is so scratched and damaged it looks like I threw it in a blender - something I would love to do upon replacing it, considering it has been one of the worst phones I have ever owned.
My point in this random rant is that upon finally deciding on a smartphone, I have acquired a new dependency on my phone, and its a little frightening. Just a few years back, if I was feeling friendly, I might strike up a conversation with someone sitting next to me in a waiting room. Now, whenever I find myself having to wait somewhere, I instantly whip out the rattled Blackberry. I'll check for missed text messages and phone calls, go through both of my e-mail accounts, check Facebook already knowing that there won't be any new updates since I last checked, and when I run out of things to look at, I'll think of more. The worst part being I never notice the people around me, never even think about talking to them, and if they talk to me, I'll usually get a little annoyed because I'm trying to do something on my phone.
New technology is designed to keep us connected, but at what point does it start to interfere with our connection to reality?
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Downes, Edward J, and Kumiko Aoki. "An Analysis of Young People's Use of and Attitudes Toward Cell Phones." Telematics and Informatics. 20.4 (2003): 349. Print.
