So I sit down to write this blog when…
Ring Ring…
What in the …???
Hello? What are you calling me on
my mobile for?? I don’t have time to
talk, I’m in the middle of blogging.
Just Facebook me and I’ll tweet the answer to you, or better yet, just google
it. Can’t talk now. Sheesh.
Why ring me?? I could have been in the middle of anything, except possibly
a very important business meeting – I haven’t been in one of those for a long
time. But it got me thinking – do people
really use mobile phones for talking
to each other anymore?
Mobile phones have become a part of our everyday lives –
some may even try to argue they are becoming a physical part of our bodies or our bodies are becoming technologically dependent (Richardson,
2008). So why do I feel a bit awkward
talking on one these days?
The genesis of the decline could hark back to the public transport
experience of 2004 when a lady found it completely natural to call her friend
while seated in a packed, non-air conditioned, commuter-hour tram and give a
very detailed, blow-by-blow account of her visit to the gynaecologist for a D
& C (google it – if you must). The
uncomfortable looks from the actual physical people in her presence went
completely unnoticed. However, I do
think all around her bonded in our distress of being an audience to this intimate
account. Hans Geser (2006) theorises
that we think of our mobile phones in emotional terms which can cause, among
other behaviours, irrational behaviour including displaying inappropriate
intimacy in public spaces. I know I
felt like I had to marry this lady after what I heard, but luckily, she got off
the tram before me.
Anyway, this is all leading me to the obvious decline in
actually calling people on your mobile phone.
Now we are so connected to all types of media via our mobile phones,
laptops and tablets that we have so much more to do on them! Teenagers
avoid calling friends and prefer to text, facebook and message. Surprisingly – so do adults! ( Turkle, 2011). Turkle explains that phone calls are now
often seen as too demanding in today’s time-poor, multitasking lifestyles, as
well as too demanding on the person called (remember me in my imagined
important meeting?) Instead we opt for
different social experiences that allow us time to consider what we want to
say, whether we should indeed say it and how we will be portrayed when we do
communicate it. I am still deciding how
I feel about this ‘edited life’ (Turkle, 2011), but I am certainly involved in
it, unwittingly or not.
It is a way to overcome the “complexities associated with
the practical aspects of dialogue” (Meerwath et al, 2009), that is, who
participates in the dialogue, the power and status of individuals involved,
opportunities taken or relinquished.
Now, we can take the necessary time to sort ourselves out, or at least
who we want to be at that time with that person, before we send out our message…
But do we really..?
While I ponder that, I am going to try this product and call
that person back and talk to them – so vintage cool…
(By the way – I know what you are thinking – mobile phones
don’t go Ring Ring anymore. Please tell me how to describe, in writing, a
modern phone ringing, onomatopoeiaically speaking!)
References
What a great first blog post Lisa! Thoroughly entertaining, and unlike my own blog, you managed to integrate some of the reading material and further research into it! Maybe I need some pointers...
ReplyDeleteI do find it interesting that phones have ceased to be a primarily oral form of communication - I know I text, Facebook and email on my phone more than I use it for calling people (much to the frustration of my husband, who's more of a traditionalist!) Are we then losing the art of communicating verbally, or is this some form of communication evolution? I guess only time will tell. I wonder what communication will look like when my children are grown up, considering how much change we have seen in the last 10-15 years. I look forward to reading more of your posts throughout the unit.
I really enjoyed this it was quite humorous and I don't think I want to google what a D & C is. Mobile phones these days do feel like an extra appendage and I rarely call with the exception of my mum because its just easier to talk than text but I'll still do this on speaker as my android phone is so large. I spend a good large chunk of my day on social networking sites 'connected' with people living an 'edited life' and have issued a challenge on my blog for myself and other bloggers to live more 'in the moment'.
ReplyDeleteI am feeling old fashioned. Am I the only one who still prefers to call? Thanks for the post - very entertaining. I kind of wonder if all the connecting is worth the time put in - for instance Facebook status updates, tweets, sms's - didn't that use to be called gossip - the fun naughty thing you did down the pub? I find that if I chat too much virtually - when I meet with the person some of the zing is gone - that zing where it is like wow I did all this stuff you don't know about and so did you and now we get to discuss it in full blown 3d technicolour. Anyone with me on this?
ReplyDeleteI love the humour in your blog, and using a funny phrase as your title has obviously drawn people to your blog! I myself chose your blog for that exact reason. Your desciption of the episode on the bus was rather funny, and made me wonder just how many personal conversations people are exposing to strangers in public spaces. Perhaps this could even be dangerous from the perspective that if someone was stalking you they could know alot about you just by listening into your phone calls! Some rather large words I must admit I had to google to find out what they meant, but i do have to admit I know what a D & C is (please dont tell anyone!)Nice job!
ReplyDeleteDon't worry Ash, I think we would hang out. I am with you. I love to catch up with people the old fashioned way - although when I do, they inevitably start by telling me that I do not answer their texts and emails or check facebook enough. I like that Aimz above is campaigning to get more people to live in the moment! I must say though, this subject has meant that I have had to get on to all these social media platforms and I can see how they get addictive!
ReplyDeleteHi Lisa thanks for the read I thoroughly enjoyed it! Its unsettling to think how dependent we have become on these devices. Its concerning that were begining to lose the ability to interact with people on an intimate scale. Techonology will continue to advance at such a rapid rate, which makes me wonder how our society will function in the future.
ReplyDelete