Communication

 The ability to communicate, the act of actual communication, is ultimately decisive in our ability to function as humans. From pre-historic pictograms to the modern use of computers and phones the idea to spread word, to record events, to tell a story, to communicate, has been an important motivating factor to our civilization. Communication has allowed us to build countries, forge international relations through the use of treaties and embargos, and  on a personal level it allows us to keep in touch with our friends and family .The methods of communication have changed, the speed of communication has most certainly changed but the necessity to communicate has not.

 

Image from: http://androidforums.com/776197-post39.html

Cell phones function as alarms and calculators, as planners and as devices used to access the internet and social media sites. They tell time, work as stopwatches, and have games. These phones have become a necessity for the smooth function of our daily lives, so much to the point that I’m sure that you, like me, have either returned home to grab a forgotten phone or know someone who has. The phone has morphed from a simple device used to make calls to a portable, minicomputer that commands what we should, when we should do it, and stresses the importance of always being reachable.

I don’t know whether this increased reliance on phones is a good or bad thing, but rather just is. The sight of phones is ubiquitous, and are found on campuses, in stores and parks, even places like hiking trails and campgrounds; places meant to be areas of tranquility from the monotony of a hectic life. It seems that more and more people are dependent on their phones for the least little thing, and so I’m not surprised when I see people sitting by themselves absentmindedly scrolling through menus on their phones as if waiting for a call that will never come.

                 As our reliance and culture shift to a decidedly more tech future, I am saddened by what I view as a loss to our society. My parents taught me that I had to give a person my undivided attention while they were talking to me. My attention to their conversation showed that I valued their opinion and that by valuing their thoughts they in turn would more likely to value mine. Today I consider myself lucky when I can talk to a person with half of their attention, the other half is likely to be flipping through their phone, or listening to music from their phone. The social etiquette that once was is certainly no longer, and this breech of the old and new ideas can cause conflict between those who are decidedly “tech” and those who aren’t (such as my dad who still hasn’t upgraded past his Nokia “play phone” as my family calls it.)

         I despised my first cell phone. I viewed it as another way that people whom I didn’t want to be in contact with, could do so (this is why I assume they included caller ID, although if you block enough calls from one person, eventually they will catch on, so it isn’t really that beneficial in that sense.) The idea of always being connected to other people still scares me. I live a very normal, tame life and I don’t understand the importance of others knowing the least little details of my life. The act of sharing, while undoubtedly important, seems to be overindulged. Why would my friends or family want to know what I ate for breakfast? Because I for sure know that I don’t care about what they ate.


A picture of my phone from: http://thetechnologygoods.com/samsung-phones/

I have conflicting emotions about my current phone which is a Samsung hand me down from my very techy brother.  Quite simply I’m too cheap to buy a new phone that would cost me lots of money and require me to purchase a plan, while his perfectly functional phone would otherwise sit unused (although I must admit that there are times when I’m filled with the treacherous emotion of jealousy when I see people using their touch screen phones.) I primarily use my phone to keep in contact with people, whether it is through texting or calling and is especially useful when arranging meeting times for group projects at school, but I now feel a slight tension between wanting to remain in the loop, but remain uniquely me and unburdened by the feeling of having to be in constant communication with others.  

        Cell phones have greatly influenced communication, and all of us as humans require communication to survive. We need to share thoughts and emotions, and cell phones have undoubtedly encouraged the transfer of these things. I’m able to talk to people, whether by voice or through text, but at the same time I also feel trapped by the feeling of needing to communicate instantly. Whether this instant communication is good or bad I’ve yet to determine, but it is decidedly influential.