You are out on a dinner date with a special someone. There is candle light, and classical music is lightly playing in the background. You just can’t wrap your head around how much you enjoy this person’s company. All romance ceases with the blaring sound of your date’s cell phone going off. “Surely he will silence that,” you think to yourself. Instead he asks, “Do you mind if I take this?” There are obviously instances when the phone call is of importance. However, most of the time people answer their phone literally just because it rang. This not only instantly gratifies the caller, but also the recipient of the call-they now know how their best friend’s day went. Never mind the date who was left behind at the table.
The advent of cell phones caused human behavior and interaction to change drastically. Now at the press of a button, one can get in contact with another person. Not only do they have the ability to do so, but they also expect it.
As more and more features have been added to mobile phones, the more prevalent this phenomenon has become. Many young people will sit in a restaurant with their family but be texting their friends. High school and college students will sit in class, sending and receiving a string of text messages. What is so important that can’t wait until after class? We just can’t stand to be disconnected, if only for a short period of time.
The beginning of cell phones was the beginning of this idea of instant gratification. We must always be plugged into the lives of others. We have made this transformation in under twenty years. What will come next?
2 comments:
It is so sad that this is true. Because of cell phone technology, we are losing personal contact with people and a real conversation. With anything that can happen in the next 20 years, I can't wait to see how we will be communicating!
The methods of communication have taken a long winding road to get where they are, and its amazing to see the leaps and bounds that technology has made in just the last 10 years, but I find that the more plugged into the digital world people get, the more disconnected they become in the real world. What could this mean for future generations? Will digital communication eventually take precedence over face to face contact?
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