In the late 70s, early 80s, SNL did a skit where two aliens can’t determine what/who is earth’s “leader.” After eliminating various things, they realize that it must be the telephone: when it rings humans drop what they’re doing and rush to it.
This was before the birth of mobile phones. ~Just imagine~
Here’s just one person I know who’s addicted to his phone: he unconsciously checks it for emails, calls, whatever, approximately every 2.5 minutes! and he even doesn’t realize it! (he’d deny this to his death). To ask him to silence it—not turn it off—practically sends him into an apoplectic seizure of explanations as to why it must remain on. Many a great rationalization follow. But I’ve been in the woods with this man when his phone’s gone off. Jeezus! Don’t tell me you’re “working” now, buddy. LEAVE IT IN THE CAR.
Notice how many businesses from banks to espresso stands sport signs forbidding cell phone use? There’s a REASON people.
Before answering machines and cell phones [yes, there was a time, and back in the day you couldn’t even turn the ringer off or unplug the phone] I would let my phone ring if I was eating dinner or having tea with a friend because my life was more important at the moment than whoever was calling. It would actually make people nervous and it wasn’t even their phone!
I need and carry a phone like everyone else. I love the convenience of it all. I do. I log roughly 20 minutes a month on it. But I also love the idea of syncing my calendar, FB, texting, internet on one small device so when I get an iPhone—and I will soon—I’ll use it more, but not a whole lot more. And I will silence it. Regularly.
Because when I’m with someone, that’s who I’m with. Cell phones are not toddlers; there’s no excuse to be distracted minute by minute by it ringing or dinging. Even if the crack-berry addicts choose not to answer, they still have to look. Geez, honestly, toddlers are more thoughtful!
Speaking of kids. How insignificant they must feel in the face of adults who appear to prefer to connect with every technology over and above their own children. You know how many people I’m acquainted with who pick up their kids and talk on the phone to someone else the whole time in the car? Sigh. And then parents bitch about how “rude” those kids are when they’re teenagers. Double sigh. Think of how tolerant & patient they were all those young years… Please consider what message/s you’re modeling for your offspring.
BTW, I must have taught my children too well. Neither of my adult kids has a cell phone, they let their land-line machine pick up when they’re doing their life—just like their mamma—and they love to engage in face-to-face dialog. I’m proud, even if it is darn hard to reach them sometimes.
rant-ology! 