A Symphony of Silence…
Too connected… I feel it. I see it. I hear it. Most of us are. Our bonding with gadgets that keep us in touch on a continuous basis has supplanted common sense, courtesy and respect in our society. Every day I see people who arrive at a destination while yakking on their cell phones, tend to their business making a purchase, pumping gas, mailing a package, ordering and eating a fast food lunch, whatever, get back in their vehicle and drive away, all the while never hanging up. Sometimes they talk inappropriately loud, irritating those within earshot. Every day I see people so distracted with their phone conversation that they cannot or are not paying attention to driving, resulting in near misses, stalled traffic lanes, and the occasional accident. What the hell could be that important?
How many times have you tried to talk to someone who is already engaged in conversation that you didn’t know about because their Bluetooth bug was in the ear that you couldn’t see? Have you observed someone on the street corner or in a store gesturing with arms and hands, talking into the air, and thought, that guy has issues, only to find out seconds later that he is into a rant to whoever his phone is connected with … and, anyone within range of his unwelcome tirade?
If I have a communication addiction it is email. Point-to-point for practical purposes, it overcomes my hearing deficiency, provides a permanent record if needed to later prove that I told you so, and is generally immediate and fast enough. My email address? Hmmm… which one of the 6 or 8 or 10 should I give you? Many of us (I am not among them) are also constantly immersed 24×7 in IM. Whether AIM, Yahoo, GTalk, or any one or more of the instant messaging clients available, they are all intrusive, time consuming, and demanding. And occasionally they might be marginally useful.
PDA, SlingBox feed to cell phone, FAX, multiple cell phones, olde-style pagers, land lines, Twitter, Facebook, My Space, VoIP, multiple email and IM accounts. I’m leaving out something, including whatever comes along tomorrow. It is all too overwhelming. It is all too intrusive and invasive. I do not want that much connectivity. I do not need that much connectivity. It is making us rude, abrupt, dangerous, and insane. We need… I need… quiet. Peace. Downtime. I need daily to get unplugged. I need daily to listen to my inner voices instead of external noise. Give me a symphony of silence to calm and re-orient my spirit, my essence, my core.
13 Comments so far
Okay, I’ll admit, I’m pretty addicted to my e-mail and my blog. And I do enjoy some IM’s on occasion. But really, I don’t even know enough people to talk on the phone as much as some folks! And I don’t have that much of interest to say. That’s where I just don’t get it.
Winston…you are opening Pandora’s Box with this one. I have a thing….A VERY BIG THING…about cellphones, especially talking on them while driving. I know they’re the best thing since sliced bread; but there has to be some guidelines…somewhere. I tell my kids all the time…I don’t like them talking while driving…even with headphones….unless there’s an emergency. You can’t be paying attention like you should be…I don’t care how well you can multitask. I’ve literally told them to pull over if they have to use the phone. I know they don’t…or can’t always heed my words; but at least they know my feelings on this. I’m sure we’ve all narrowly escaped a fender-bender…or worse…with someone who’s cellphone is glued to their hand 24/7. Everytime I see people chatting away while driving in traffic, it just chips away a little more at my tolerance level.
And….I haven’t even addressed the “Bluetooth Bug crazies.” (I didn’t even know that’s what it was called Winston.) I’m just SOOOO tech savvy.
I’m an e-mail addict…GUILTY! But I can’t put someone in the hospital typing away at home, now can I? Well, unless I’m unbelieveably raunchy….there is that possibility. -not so JOYful
I can’t stand cell phones. The kids and I play a guessing game, while we’re in the car watching erratic driving, called “Drunk or Cell Phone?” It’s usually not easy to tell which is which. As for the rest, I’m a technological dinosaur, though I do enjoy an email now and then.
I hate my cell phone. I have some sort of electro magnetic thing going on and I burn them up.
True story.
But, alas in the business I work in I must have it.
And yes, I’m also addicted to my blog. It’s very therapeutic.
I’ve always toyed with the idea of being THAT connected. But amazingly managed to resist buying toys I realised I would never use…..
I have had a cell phone for a number of years so that the people who care for my aging aunt can get in touch with me anytime, anywhere. I think that’s great. I have a daughter who works from her home via computer and phone in the world of high tech. I know that if I leave a message on her cell phone, she will return the call. She never answers her land line at home because only telemarketers call her.
My son and his family never answer their home phone, and may or may not return a call from a message on their answering machine. I have to call the cell phones. Daughter will answer e mail when I am asking for information. Son practices law and files pleadings by e mail. My sister-in-law will forward a dozen e-mail “items of interest or jokes” every other day. I’ve told her I usually delete themm without reading them.
I still use a fax machine when a signed copy of something is needed….then they want you to mail the original via U.S. Postoffice. I haven’t made it to HDTV yet, I only subscribe to the basic package offered by the cable company. I think my children have every option offered on their cell phones, internet providers, cable television, Tivo, Blackberry, Bluetooth, XM Radio and who knows what else. (I don’t ask what their monthly bills are.) My 13 year old grandaughter just sold a collector toy on E bay at a $50 profit.
It isn’t going away, but I wish there were some standard rules about the use. Where is the Emily Post of the Information Age?
Hate cell phones. Yeah, they come in darned handy sometimes, but I usually forget to charge mine and it’s always on “vibrate,” lest I forget to turn it off for some important meeting. Really, it’s for me to be able to call out, not for someone to call me (as daughter Kate will attest).
Hate iPods because people have their ears plugged up ALL the time now. Does real life have to have a sound track every minute of every day? How about listening to what’s happening around you? Being more aware of actual, uh, life? Yes, I know iPods are wonderful things on a crowded airplane, but really - ALL the time?
Don’t have HDTV, TiVo, satellite radio or a Blackberry. My feeling is that one day, we’ll all hit the “communication” wall, unplug everything, and flush virtual life down the toidy.
But email - I’m way too addicted. I do force myself to ignore it whenever I can, though. I smell a support group forming . . .
Interestingly, but not unexpectedly, the writer (me) and most of the readers (you) are of one mind on connectedness, with cell phones being trashed to hell and back. The very fact that we gravitate to each other in the blogosphere must have some deeper meaning. We are all connected by a virtual umbilical cord in more ways that we realized. Organizational meeting at my house next Tuesday night, 7:00 PM. BYOB.
Count me (virtually) in.
I “hear” what you’re saying and couldn’t agree more. I found myself spending too much time in the blogosphere since entry over a year ago, but have hopefully established a little more discipline. Must admit life events complicated my reasonable adaptation.
As for all the tech toys — can be mind boggling sometimes with so many, so much change, all so fast. I still have a phone landline, want a cell phone only for emergencies, but like the idea of bluetooth — just not in my ear all the time. I have no HDTV but seems we’ll all be forced to get it whether or not we want ‘ere long. I want a wireless setup at home, but am trying to get one throughout our whole city. So far have only gotten one Sr. Center setup but only for internal wireless.
Yeah, there are just too many different gadgets, but guess we each just pick and choose what we want — we don’t each have to have everything, though we may feel pressed to do so, and some will. I wouldn’t be at all surprised, if an increasing group begins to reject much of it, at least for increasing periods of time. My ears literally feel “tired” after a period of time with headphones or an ear piece inputting sound directly. Silence, quiet is a treasure. I wonder if someday we will actually have to pay for “silent places” to which we can go to have that experience.
I consider instant messaging (mine of choice is msn) to be a great way to communicate and it’s not invasive at all. For example, when I want to come online, I choose to have it up or not, when I want to chat with someone, I can have them see me or not as they can me in reverse. Instant messaging is instant emailing or written conversations. I don’t have mine up available to hear from others all the time and my list is made up only of friends to one level or another. I don’t feel compelled to use it but because of it I have gotten to know several online acquaintances well enough to meet them real time which through email alone might be more difficult. I also think when you add the webcam to it, you don’t have to worry that the person on the other end of your conversation is a fake and nothing like what they are claiming to be. I consider the telephone a lot more invasive as I don’t have a choice when it rings.
Rain is the latest of several of you to point out a personal use for and advantage of a specific mode of communication technology. My original post did not do a very good job of emphasizing that very point. Needs and preferences vary widely by individual, and indicate a thoughtful and judicious process of finding solutions that work for you. That is commendable. It is the total immersion and inundation by a cacophony of unending streams that I rail against. I feel another blog post coming on…
I still have a cell phone (or three) around the place. Mainly for my business, calls are diverted to it and it seems to work. It also has a camera, internet and MP3 built in. The guys writing star trek used to dream of such stuff and gotta admit I love it. I switch it off on occasions or blame more shocking memory for deliberately leaving it behind.
I did a trip across Australia a couple of years ago and blogged it using a laptop, dogital camera and mobile phone. Most expensive part of the trip was the phone datastream bill not the gasoline! Still it was cool fun.
I have a i-pod but use it in my car through an FM transmitter as I have no CD player. Hardly use the earphones. Being of the 80’s generation , it’s much the same as my old Walkman but whiter. I find it disconcerting walking with a head full of music.
Bluetooth I don’t do preferring the security or IrDA.
Nevertheless I took a bit of a hiatus getting out and gardening, it was good. Still, came across some wonderful people overseas due to some of this technology, just not gotta let it get out of hand.