Listening to the segment on NPR last week about cell phones helped me put into perspective just how lost I would be without my cell phone. I think this statement would be even stronger if I ever lived outide of the U.S.
As it is, I am extremely relient on my phone as a constant line of communication to family, friends, coworkers, etc. via talking, text messaging, email and BBM (Blackberry Messenger, which is similar to AIM - AOL Instant Messenger). I also use my phone to go online and for simple banking. If I lived outside the U.S. and was somehow forced to not have a bank on every corner or a common meeting place like Starbucks on every block, I could see myself handling the bulk of my business from my phone - especially with the high costs of the other types of technology that exist, i.e. laptops.
We currently live in a society that is technology driven - and even that is an understatement.
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What about people that do not have the cell phone? Also is there a price that we pay (Social/emotional) for being so connected...? Me I am an email junkie! My BB buzzes and I jump! When do we relax and have calm if we are so connected?
ReplyDeleteAlso I just love the Profile Picture!
ReplyDeleteI really like how you are using cell phones as your technology for you blogs. I feel as though this is a technology that consumes many of us and therefore we can relate to you blog. I think that we are all at fault of constantly keeping one eye on our phone at all times, in hopes of a text message, email or call. Having internet, email, GPS and other features on our phone people are starting to move from laptops and other technologies and solely invest in a phone with the capabilities to do almost everything.
ReplyDeleteIn your section about the transformation to an industrial society you mention a lot of advantages of having a cell phone. I feel like in this section it would be appropriate to add the history of cell phones. Specifically you could describe the evolution of land lines invented by Alexander Graham Bell and then describe from there how cell phones were invented in 1973 from Motorola. Since then many modification have been made in order to enhance the function of the cellular phone. As technology enhanced with computers and other devices, cell phones mirrored the same transition.
Another fun thing you could add to your blog, however I’m not sure it would be appropriate in this section, is how cell phones rule our lives. I know that some families communicate almost solely on cell phones when they are simply in the same house. Mothers will send a text to the rest of the family in order to announce that dinner is ready and then while at dinner everyone is on their phones either texting friends, checking email or surfing the internet. It would be interesting if you investigated on how cell phones disconnect us in a way from one another, something contradictory of what they were invented for.
I really enjoyed reading your blog and I can’t wait to see what else you come up with.
Professor, for those who do not have cell phones, computers are landlines would be the next best thing - or we could take it even further and go with letter writing. Although it seems extinct, it definitely still exists.
ReplyDeleteI definitely think we pay a price for being so connected because my family cannot have a meal without everyone's cell phones being on the table alongside their meal which is just sad - we cannot go thirty minutes out of a day with 1440 minutes in it. I know that when I need a break from my blackberry to mellow out for a bit, I will text or email the people that are important (mom, dad, brother, best friend, roommate) and let them know that my phone will be on silent for the next 2 or 3 hours. It is nicer than you would ever believe.
Oh, and about the profile picture, it is funny you said that. I have another blog for fun and that is the picture that I have had up for awhile. I considered changing it because I did not know what type of professor you would be and did not want you to think it was odd or inappropriate. Happy I didn't - happier you got a kick out of it.
Tyler, you inspire me. I will defintiely do a blog about the history of cell phones. And as far as cell phones ruling our lives, I had planned on blogging about it in the future because that is what made me choose the topic.
Thank you for the feedback - it was helpful and informative.
=]
I concur with your statement of how lost we would be without our cell phones. Beside from my laptop, i think i need my cell phone more than anything. I used my Iphone for basically everything that i can think of. I use it for making calls, of course. But i also use it to check the news since I'm able to use my phone to access the internet. Email is what i use my phone the most as it is my pet peeve to constantly check on who has email me.
ReplyDeleteTo the professor, I love the blackberry, but i do believe it is not as quite user friendly as the iphone. :). I had the Curve II before i upgrade to my Iphone and the iphone has so much faster internet and the browser is more realistic than the Blackberry one.