Mobile phones and caller ID. The technology has changed us. The following is an excerpt from a recent story by the Washington Post:
“Back when phones were attached to the wall, there was a mystery to their rings. People could not be blocked nor deleted. Phones were simple. No games. You dialed the number. If somebody was there, they answered. If they were not, the phone rang until you decided to hang up.
There was no call screening, no Caller ID. People were not banished with a DELETE button.
Now society brings with it the constant ringing of phones, the beeping of computers, the robotic voices saying who is behind the ring. Communication has become sanitized and personal relationships have become clinical. You are in or you are out, based upon whether they like you.”
Did you know that during blackouts (when cell phones don’t work) the only people still connected are the little old ladies with the old rotary phones and the thick wire in the wall. The wire stays electrified and the phone works. The little old ladies also have all the phone stock, so every time you buy another mobile device, they get three cents. 😉
Allan
The article also supports what Prof. Halavais was saying about how its difficult today to build personal relationships with people or “date.” The technology allows us to avoid people pretty easily.
Oh, and speaking of rotary phones, check out this story:
“Widow Rented Rotary Phone for 42 Years”
-Marie