This issue affects me because I recently got rid of my smart phone, and not only has my communication with people around me enhanced but my spending of my non existent money has also lowered. I am no longer constantly checking my email/facebook or looking for the best sale on some item i do not even need.
I care because I feel these things are keeping us as a society locked down on to a one way road of thinking. The most important thing to us is our phone they should be implanted into our hands because they never leave them. Not only that, our phones and ipods do almost everything for us. They help us exercise, shop, wake us up, put us to sleep, even remind us to do our daily objectives. This is all very convenient but at what cost. Obesity is on the rise, our countries deficit is insane, its all just another way to escape this thing we call reality. What happens when we ignore problems though? They don't just go away they become monsters! We become monsters!
“The group is expected never to impinge upon—indeed, it is expected to tacitly
endorse by enduring—the individual’s right to withdraw from social space by whatever means he or she chooses: cell phones, BlackBerrys, iPods, DVDs screened on laptop computers. These devices are all used as a means to refuse to be “in” the social space; they are technological cold shoulders that are worse than older forms of subordinate activity in that they impose visually and auditorily on others.” I had to borrow this snippet from the article, “Our Cell Phones, Ourselves” by Christine Rosen because it explains our society so well. I do it, we all do it, sit in our own little ipod world and veg while our food is being made or go to class and check our cell every five minutes for an update or text message of some kind. We are no longer really engaged in the real world. Its like everyone wants to escape, but where are we going?
The reason i'm writing this is because i'm afraid. I'm afraid of losing touch with reality, hence my parting ways with my smartphone. I know it sounds insignificant but it was just a small step in the direction I want for my life. I got tired of trying to escape every 5 minutes. I got tired of going on throughout my day with noise blasting in my ears while the rest of the world went along without me. I don't know about you but I know one thing my Iphone didn't do, and that was communicate back to me like another human. There is no feeling when you read a text message. Theres no feeling when you get that facebook alert that you've been invited to a party. I don't even get formally invited to parties anymore, if I don’t check my facebook event calendar i’m shit out of luck. (Oh crap now this is starting to sound like a sob story about how lonely my life is but I'm not “seriously” look at me I'm awesome there is no one that dosent want me at their party:)
I think I have made my point pretty clear, that we're abandoning each other for these devices that are supposed to enhance and make our lives easier. I don't think we need to get rid of them but i do think we need to stop an take a look at how much time and money we put into these things and how they affect our lives.
This is such an interesting article, well done! I was instantly drawn in and inspired! I like what you said about facebook and how depending on if you check you page or not equals you getting invited to something. It is so true! I agree with what you are saying, these electronic devices are taking up a huge part of our lives.
ReplyDeleteI also think getting rid of your Iphone is a big deal, most people who have them would find that very difficult!