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Monday 23 January 2017

The cell

Cell phones are on my list of Things I Don't Like. I haven't become a fan of this technology. How did we ever manage in the days when people weren't available twenty-four/seven? Before cell phones, how many life-changing phone calls did people miss over the one hundred plus years since Alexander Graham Bell said those immortal words to Mr. Watson? We managed, but not any more!

Do we even turn off the devices now? I am fearful on the roads due to distracted drivers texting or talking on these phones? What message is so important you put your own and others' lives in danger? Then again, people continue to drink and drive and that danger has been known for decades. The self driving car may be the only solution.

Convenience is the key. It's not necessary to find a public phone or a phone booth since you take the cell with you. It is easily accessible and can be the connection to a world of knowledge via the internet. There is no need to wonder about anything for very long. Our need for instant answers and instant communication drives many of us.

I bought my first cell phone about ten years ago when I travelled regularly over the highway in Newfoundland to visit my mother. The phone was for emergencies and I only turned it on whilst on the road. Even today, it is rarely on and when it is, I forget to turn it off. When I need it again, it's dead. This phone is not a priority.

 

Conversely, there is a new app which encourages users to stay off their cell phones, to speak to others rather than tune them out. Someone is making money by timing how long we are not using our phones. I wonder if children raised today will have issues with absentee parents who were physically present but on their phones?

Meanwhile, my issues with cell phones continue. Is there an app for that?



26 comments:

DJan said...

I hear you, Marie. It's become an unbelievable obsession to most people, who don't know how to stop. I have a cellphone and I love it. It counts my steps every day to help me stay fit. I take pictures with it, and sometimes I actually talk to someone on it, but I keep it in my pocket when I'm outside in the street or in my car. In Washington State it's illegal to talk or text on your phone when in the car, but I still see it all the time. :-(

Mage said...

Delightful. I used mine only for emergencies, and often it is dead when I need it. LOL

Anonymous said...

It is convenient. But at the same time, really inconvenient! It takes away privacy from always being reachable. Andrea

Elephant's Child said...

I came to the party late and reluctantly. The hospital insisted I had one and was contable at all times after my mother had her stroke. These days? It spends most of its life turned off. My partner loves his, and it is always on.

The Happy Whisk said...

I am new to cell phones but I enjoy mine. That being said, I am not addicted and I don't text when driving. I hate, hate, hate, hate when I see people texting and driving. Nor do I understand people eating out together, only to have their heads down checking phones.

Also, I shut my phone and ringer off, often. Same with the tablet and pc. I'm all about being unplugged, most of my day. I like the quiet. A lot.

Joanne Noragon said...

I've had a cell phone since the 1990's. It was used for business and lived in my car. How that frustrated my children. I only migrated to a reasonably smart phone perhaps five years ago. It remains smarter than I am. But, the other day I saw a Moto-Droid 10x camera attachment. It was difficult to resist, and I may succumb soon.

Tabor said...

Technology has left the poor so far behind we are becoming two types of humanity.

Anvilcloud said...

We still have an old dumbphone for emergencies. I may change that and actually dump the landline at some point.

Marie Smith said...

It is an obsession for many, Jan. Technology is taking over our lives in many ways as if it's ruling us.

Marie Smith said...

Same as me, Mage. I can't see I will ever use it any differently.

Marie Smith said...

Convenience trumps everything these days, Andrea.

Marie Smith said...

My husband uses his phone more than I do too, EC.

Marie Smith said...

I so agree, HW. Why go with someone if you spend your time talking or texting to someone else? Sad!

Marie Smith said...

The phone in the camera is handy when you don't have the camera, Joanne.

Marie Smith said...

Technology has separated humanity even more, Tabor.

Marie Smith said...

Many people are getting rid of their landlines, AC.

Anonymous said...

I would like to point out, that in the U.S., for many years now, people with low incomes, (including people on gov't assistance) have gotten free phones and free internet. I have lived near Philadelphia for almost 4 decades and this has been a topic of great discussion/consternation. We all pay extra tax on our internet and cell phones to pay for this. Andrea

Marilyn @ MountainTopSpice said...

I have thought much about this too, Marie. I don't know what the answer is. I do think about the possibility of something happening one day and the whole world of electronics being shut down, what then? Maybe that is what needs to happen. Indeed, we have become so entangled with technology and our luxuries that we take for granted, what did we ever do without them? Enjoyed your thoughts on this difficult subject.

Shammickite said...

I have an old flip phone for use as a cell phone for emergencies, it works just fine. And it even takes photos, not that I actually know how to download them. But I can text and talk, that's all I need. No internet, no email, no unnecessary distraction. And anyway, I can check email in the comfort of my home, why do it outside in the cold?
I agree about being worried about distracted drivers.

Marie Smith said...

What a great service, Andrea. We don't have that in Canada!

Marie Smith said...

I think about the loss of technology too, SUI. We'd manage, as in the older generation, I'm sure. The younger generations would find it harder to adjust I think.

Marie Smith said...

The distracted drivers really concern me, Shammickite.

The Furry Gnome said...

I got a cell phone when my wife got worried about me going out hiking alone. Now she can see where I am as long as I leave it on. Otherwise, I only use it to text or get texts from our two distant children. It was really handy over the past weekend during our celebrations to stay in touch when so much was going on. But most of the time it just sits there.

Marie Smith said...

Many seniors don't appear to use the cell phones as much as younger people do, FG. We use it for emergencies for the most part.

The Happy Whisk said...

And so many do it. Sad when I see parents doing it to their kids. Ack.

Marie Smith said...

I know, HW. Scary!