They are forms of mind control. Manipulation. Suggestion. For profit. Silent, suggestive messages for money.
Consciously or not, we are constantly mesmerized by them, hypnotized to do just as they say and buy them. Families fall apart because of the financial problems they start.
They create a demand for want, want, want. Non-criminals run up huge credit card bills or other debt and suffer invariably. Criminals buy guns. And KILL to get what THEY want.
The gun debate ensues. Divorce ensues. Family breakup ensues.
But perhaps the most ridiculously sought-after and must-have-it product is the "IPhone." The IPhone. It's all about me. The ultimate new technology. Practicality, in a sense.
It is called the "Smart" Phone. I will never get one.
We have "practicaled" ourselves to death. Convenienced at any cost has become our mantra. We have forgotten the days of a phone with a cord, which grounded us.
Now, we have no limits. I lament that.
http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/iphone-6-release-date-news-and-rumours-1099865
I grew up at a time when -- surprise, surprise -- I didn't WANT to be available for someone's call 24-7. Or an e-mail. Now, you can be out for a walk.
Doh! Somebody MUST talk to you, RIGHT NOW! Not 10 minutes from now! Not 30 minutes from now! NOW!
The "I"Marketing Process!
But do I buy the newest BMW that comes out every year?
I have had this computer for 4-5 years. It works fine.
I had a cellphone for a long time. Not one call that I remember. And even if there was, was it something I couldn't wait 20 minutes to hear? 30? 60? 5 hours?
There is this technology. It's called "answering machine."
now even if i want to buy a "simple" phone, nobody is selling cos they stopped making them.
ReplyDelete-pauline
Ha! Hi Pauline. Coincidentally, I am going through the same ordeal now. My phone, a remote, crapped out recently. So I need to replace it. But with what, I dunno. Don't want to email with it. Don't want to surf the Web. Don't want to text. Just want to talk on the darned thing. Don't know which way to go, but thinking it will only get worse. Cellphone and that technology here to stay. I'm a dinosaur as it is. I'm thinking cellphone now.
ReplyDeleteVery thought provoking post, Chris. These are my thoughts on the subject. I realize this comment is poorly written, I am sleep deprived right now, so please bear with me as I attempt to articulate my conclusions.
ReplyDeleteI use my smart phone (not an iPhone) for my business. I can do everything I need to keep my business running smoothly right over the phone. It's a business tool for me and one that allows me to work from wherever I am. I love it for that. However, I set boundaries. I have my phone programmed to shut the ringer off from 10pm-8am and for longer periods of time on the weekends. It's smart enough to recognize the numbers I have labeled as favorites; my son, my brother and a few other people in my life, and it will let them ring through. It works great for me. That being said, I had virtually no cell service on my last vacation, and I enjoyed it more than I can adequately express in words. Sitting in the cabin at night with no internet, no phone and no distractions was fantastic. We sat and we talked. We really interacted. I got to know the ladies I was with on a very intimate level and I would not have missed it for the world. Technology has its place, for sure, but so does time away from it.
Thanks Laurie! There are, no doubt, some very practical good things about the cellphone and I do not try to pretend there isn't. What my main concern is, is this untold expectation that because of it, we are now expected to receive emails, texts or calls all the time (granted, we don't have to respond, but I don't know about you, I HAVE to respond if I know someone wants something from me). Your last sentence is perfectly said and how I feel. NOT to be constantly badgered is a beauty thing.
DeleteI know what you mean, Chris. I have a horrible time stepping away from the people I coach. If I get a message, via text, email or Facebook, I feel duty bound to answer it. I often leave my phone in another room (with the privacy setting to ring only for favorites) during my "off" hours, so I don't check it incessantly. :)
DeleteNot your fault, Laurie; sign of the times. They create a demand and then create a product to meet it. But Oh! What did we EVER do before? There was a time when you'd go to work for 8 hours, and after that ended, you were there for just free time or family time. No more. In that sense, we are certainly slaves to the technology we've invented. And they run the economy around it too. Do we really need dishwashers? Garbage compactors? We don't, we know that. But they make our lives easier.
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