Weapons of Mass Distraction II -- The Cellphone
Having a cell phone means you're never going to be alone again. That may sound nice to an extrovert, but for an introvert like me, the idea can be terrifying. Suddenly, anyone who knows your number can interrupt your thoughts. The landlines have already been taken over by people who want to sell you things.
With the cell phone, your friends and family have a line on you every hour of the day. I first got an inkling of the practical implications when I had a conversation with a student who kept looking at her cell phone in class, and frequently ran out into the hall to answer it.
"Where are you?" I asked her. "In class, or on your cell phone? You can't be in both places at once."
"But I have to pick up," she insisted. "Otherwise my friends get mad. 'Where were you?' they ask me, 'Why didn't you pick up?'"
I tried to be reasonable. "Couldn't you let your friends know you have a schedule? Tell them you can't talk on the phone during class."
But this made no sense to her. She was convinced that she was at the beck and call of her friends. If they phoned, she had a duty to pick up. If she didn't, she'd later have to explain why. I thought this was an isolated attitude, but among the young it is becoming more common.
What does it do to your relationships when you are always available to anyone who happens to know your cell number? I shudder to think. But then, I am an introvert. I love those moments of privacy and silence. In fact, sometimes I absolutely need them.
With the cell phone, your friends and family have a line on you every hour of the day. I first got an inkling of the practical implications when I had a conversation with a student who kept looking at her cell phone in class, and frequently ran out into the hall to answer it.
"Where are you?" I asked her. "In class, or on your cell phone? You can't be in both places at once."
"But I have to pick up," she insisted. "Otherwise my friends get mad. 'Where were you?' they ask me, 'Why didn't you pick up?'"
I tried to be reasonable. "Couldn't you let your friends know you have a schedule? Tell them you can't talk on the phone during class."
But this made no sense to her. She was convinced that she was at the beck and call of her friends. If they phoned, she had a duty to pick up. If she didn't, she'd later have to explain why. I thought this was an isolated attitude, but among the young it is becoming more common.
What does it do to your relationships when you are always available to anyone who happens to know your cell number? I shudder to think. But then, I am an introvert. I love those moments of privacy and silence. In fact, sometimes I absolutely need them.