Why I Am Not Going to Buy a Cellphone
Why I Am NOT Going to Buy A Cell Phone
(with apologies to Wendell Berry)
Like everyone else, I want to be close to the people I love. But it is not clear to me that being in contact via cell phone would draw us nearer in any meaningful way.
I’m trying to reduce the number of machines telling me what to do. I don’t like the idea of another device to which I must attend. Even if I don’t answer it when it rings, (unlikely) I would have to play by its rules when I dial, talk, and so on.
I find it aesthetically displeasing, and rather pathetic, to see people hunched over their phones all the time, punching in numbers, reading messages, doing whatever it is their piece of plastic tells them to.
People stayed in touch beautifully for centuries before the advent of the cell phone. I am entirely unconvinced that the love between Romeo and Juliet or between Damon and Pythias or between Sartre and Beauvoir would have been improved by a cellphone.
I want fewer mediated communications in my life, not more. Insofar as the cell phone would let me more easily talk to people on the phone instead of visiting them, I reject it.
I have a weird hypothesis that reliance on cell phones undermines people’s native extra-sensory perceptive abilities. You know how, in the past, if you wanted to meet up with someone at a nightclub or somewhere, you had to try to predict where they would be and when? Cell phones eliminate the need to engage in those sorts of mental gymnastics. And if you don’t use it, you lose it.
The cell phone industry is a paradigm of high-tech corporate enterprise. There aren’t any small mom n’ pop cell phone makers and providers. I’m already in deep to multinationals for my computer, car, and home telephone. I’m disinclined to support another global conglomerate.
Beside, like Berry says, if using the cell phone is the “new idea,” then not using it is newer still.
(with apologies to Wendell Berry)
Like everyone else, I want to be close to the people I love. But it is not clear to me that being in contact via cell phone would draw us nearer in any meaningful way.
I’m trying to reduce the number of machines telling me what to do. I don’t like the idea of another device to which I must attend. Even if I don’t answer it when it rings, (unlikely) I would have to play by its rules when I dial, talk, and so on.
I find it aesthetically displeasing, and rather pathetic, to see people hunched over their phones all the time, punching in numbers, reading messages, doing whatever it is their piece of plastic tells them to.
People stayed in touch beautifully for centuries before the advent of the cell phone. I am entirely unconvinced that the love between Romeo and Juliet or between Damon and Pythias or between Sartre and Beauvoir would have been improved by a cellphone.
I want fewer mediated communications in my life, not more. Insofar as the cell phone would let me more easily talk to people on the phone instead of visiting them, I reject it.
I have a weird hypothesis that reliance on cell phones undermines people’s native extra-sensory perceptive abilities. You know how, in the past, if you wanted to meet up with someone at a nightclub or somewhere, you had to try to predict where they would be and when? Cell phones eliminate the need to engage in those sorts of mental gymnastics. And if you don’t use it, you lose it.
The cell phone industry is a paradigm of high-tech corporate enterprise. There aren’t any small mom n’ pop cell phone makers and providers. I’m already in deep to multinationals for my computer, car, and home telephone. I’m disinclined to support another global conglomerate.
Beside, like Berry says, if using the cell phone is the “new idea,” then not using it is newer still.
posted by Professor Dave at 4:39 PM
1 Comments:
That was quite eloquent, Dave! And true enough to convict the most business-like mongrul of them all who would undoubtedly own a Blackberry (why is it named after a fruit?). Honestly, I tried to make that beginning sound as prose-like as I feel after reading your blog. But it most likely doesn't make sense. So I'll keep it to layman terms. Your qoute, "I find it aesthetically displeasing, and rather pathetic, to see people hunched over their phones all the time, punching in numbers, reading messages, doing whatever it is their piece of plastic tells them to." hit my pet-peeve button beautifully. Thankfully, I won't be texting. I agree, you can't even go to a resturaunt without seeing a table of adults (ugh, especially teens) where at least one is texting. Texting is evil. It dehumanizes the mind behind the message and disengages the individual from real-time and the context they're in. They become rude and inconsiderate to others around them, and, as you said, are ruled by the pocket-sized machine that dictates their day and relationships.
What you said later, "People stayed in touch beautifully for centuries before the advent of the cell phone." was also fabulous. Would you mind if I shared this blog as anomynous, but with others? My Mum has been telling us the same thing about phones - "Oh how did they ever get along without all this technology?" she says with a sigh. I retort that they didn't, as well. Now there's the rub - the standard to which we have elevated comforts and conviences of life are actually further atonomizing our culture. We no longer know how to communicate. Sorry this is so long, now you have my brain going!
Who was it that said man's noblest quality is his ability to reason? Well, try to have a deep conversation with the average Joe holding his cell phone in one hand, texting with his thumb, and his grande Starbucks in the other, and you will quickly find out that my generation in particular has lost our ability to think, reason, analyze, wonder, pause, reflect...sigh. Dave, I apologize for the tone of despair. It will be all right. I would like to help teach people how to think. Besides, from all my sterotyping, I cannot claim absence from fulfilling any of those.
I do miss class with you and conversations. I miss you! You were always able to get my brain chugging, whether or not it was legible, is another story. By the way, I graduated from Cascadia on the Vice President's List! Hurray! You and Mr. Todd will always be amongst our favorite teachers.
Karen
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