Sometimes I wish I could “Uninvent” Cellphones.
I’m not sure if “uninvent” is really a word, since it generally wouldn’t be possible to uninvent something that had already been created. I’m seriously having a love hate relationship with cell phones lately though.
Just now I had to run down to the Grocery Store because I bought a nice Sirloin Roast yesterday and I forgot to get some Lipton Onion Soup mix, and we all know it’s nearly a sin to make a beef roast without any Lipton Onion Soup Mix. As I was headed to the store, I passed three little girls, maybe 11 or 12 on bicycles and all three were riding with one hand and jabbering away on their cellphones. This isn’t the first time I’ve seen something like this - it’s getting all too common for my taste. I see little kids and pre-teens all the time in stores, at the mall or just outside (when they should be running and getting exercise) talking away.
Are we as a society getting to a point to where even children can’t “unplug”?
There is another thing I’d like to uninvent if I could and that’s Bluetooth - or at least those little bluetooth things people wear in their ears. They have to be the single biggest personal pet peeve I have. There is a guy at work who works in our call-center taking support calls. His job is to talk on the phone for 8 hours a day, yet every time I see him, either going in, on break, on lunch or leaving for the day he is talking away to some invisible person. If I ever run into him, I’m scared to speak because I don’t know if he’s talking to me or some random person inside his ear (or perhaps his head 
) He actually did speak directly to me one day and I felt like a jerk because I didn’t answer him right away - but I was so used to him talking to someone on the phone, I honestly didn’t realize he was directly addressing me.
I have another friend, probably one of my best friends ever who will instantly stop a conversation with me (face to face) to answer his phone. HELLO! I’m right here! We are directly interacting - that is why you have voice mail - if it can’t wait they will vibrate your hip off until you can’t stand it any more, THEN you can answer it, but only then! What I would give to be able to say that out loud!
Do we need cellphones to survive? No!
Do cellphones make our lives easier? I don’t think so - here’s why.
I think as a society we have lost the ability to unplug. We seem to never relax anymore. I love to fish, and even though I’m only 28 years old I remember days not too very long ago when I would easily go spend a day on the lake with no cell phone, no thought of email or computers - just thoughts of landing the big one. Now, I feel sometimes like if I were in a situation where nobody could get in contact with me, I would feel uncomfortable. It seems our whole lives are interconnected, and everything is on show. Stuff like Twitter seems to make that even stronger - I see people twitting all over the place, and sometimes it’s useless stuff. I don’t care what song you are listening too right now - enjoy your music, and I’ll enjoy mine.
I know people at work who answer email as quickly as they answer instant messages. Is that productive or counterproductive? I think it’s the latter - if you are doing your job, you don’t have time to answer 5 emails a minute.
I’m a techy kinda guy but I think some parts of technology are sucking the very life out of what makes us individual, intelligent people. I think every once and a while we should all just “unplug” from everything and get back to what life is really all about. Stop worrying so much and just relax. It’ll be OK. I promise. Break out an encyclopedia (the kind with pages in it) if you need to learn something once and a while. Every once and a while, stop by the Library (you know that big building downtown with all the books in it), and do some research. I forbid you to use a computer while you are there - pull out some microfiche and dig through some old periodicals and newspapers to find some information. Also, while you are at it - try typing something more than a few sentences long, something important that you want to make a good impression on who reads it, and do it all without spelling and grammar checking. Use your noggin - it’s what God gave it to you for.
Sorry for being cynical - I guess I’m just having an Andy Rooney moment
Tags: Life, Technology
April 27, 2008 at 5:56 pm
So true. Thanks for this post, I totally share your point of view. Our way of life has became so shallow…
I am relieved that there are still some people like you.
April 27, 2008 at 7:16 pm
Could not agree more, oops sorry I got to go. Phone is ringing, and I got and SMS. Must answer my email, and there goes twitter, and pounce. I must digg this great post on wordpress. All on a Sunday afternoon I’d go outside but the sun is just to bright…..
April 27, 2008 at 8:43 pm
simply… Amen.
April 27, 2008 at 9:54 pm
Certainly cell phones keep us from being able to enjoy nature, but so do ATVs! Can you imagine what life would be like without technology? Anyway, this might amuse y’all:
http://stuffwhitedbagslike.wordpress.com/2008/04/18/nextel-phones/
April 27, 2008 at 9:57 pm
Oh man do I feel bad. I read this post on my phone with my mp3 player in my ears. I am also commenting from my phone. But hey, I am on the bus in the morning going to school and there isn’t much else to do. My friends don’t get on for a while.
April 27, 2008 at 10:14 pm
I have to say I’m quite impressed with the comments; Judging by the amount of people reading the Planet (close to 20.000 unique hits today) I was getting ready to read some pretty stupid comments. Happened before, when someone has an opinion that differs from mainstream.
Well, that sure as hell leaves me happy! Good to see that readers of this weblog, and possibly the Planet are civilized people!
Hats off to all of you!
April 27, 2008 at 10:24 pm
I feel you, man.
As a fellow techie, I like life in the technological cruise lane as well from time to time. Sure, I like ubiquitous wireless and a coffeehouse within a stone’s throw but there are times where going to Amish country (Northeast Ohio, where I call home, is very close to a large Amish community) to have some real food and real hospitality is just what the doctor ordered.
Many kids are missing out today :-(. Sure, I spent my share of time playing Atari but I also loved to ride my bike and play football with the neighborhood kids.
April 28, 2008 at 1:18 am
I didn’t get my first cell phone until august. I once vowed I would never get one because I didn’t want to conform to the mindlessness of them. The time came, however, where I just felt like I wasn’t part of what was going on between friends and I. I resent having my phone each and every day. I am a tech guy as well, which explains why I’m on my computer reading your post in the first place, however, I’m secretly annoyed that I did so.
Great post anyways though! I think I might just sit down, turn off my cell and my laptop and read a book tonight because of this.
April 28, 2008 at 3:22 am
Cell phones should only be used for emergy. You know, if you’re lost or something. Children are relying on technology too much. I remember when I was a kid. We were rarely on the computer. We played sports and other possible games we could think of. Those were good times. Much more fun than the computer. Good times.
To chunque, TVs aren’t so bad. It’s not like there’s always something good on TV that we’ll be sitting in front of it all the time. We would watch the shows we like, and move off and do something fun. Or excercise. If that’s fun. Or maybe . . . read a book.
April 28, 2008 at 2:00 pm
uninvent..hmm…found a phrase for this word:
If I could uninvent anything, I would uninvent Hitler’s mum, guns and broccoli.
Well..CELLNOXIOUSNESS is the word I would like to call it.
April 30, 2008 at 8:09 pm
So very true.
I also remember growing up in a country town riding bikes from dawn till dusk and not having any contact with anyone. Going to my mates house on a farm and looking after the animals, riding on the back of his motorbike……great times.
Now I live in a city(perth), It really sucks. People are getting greedy, rude and unbarable sometimes.
So, my mobile broke after 3 times in the wash, I just didn’t care about it anymore so I ditched it a year ago.
Also, I would like to “Uninvent” television, I hate it!.
I mean, I still own a “television set” that I watch shows downloaded of the net on. But I hope the concept of visual and audable spam dies a quick death. I’d rather pay a subscription to download with no ads ever.
SORRY to the OP. This is a topic thats been on my mind for a while and I just let loose.
/rant over