Technological innovation makes hiding obsolete
Stacy Johnson, referring to a similar list in the Huffington Post, has published a much longer and more complete list of obsolete technologies than I came up with in some recent posts about things that have become obsolete in my lifetime.
Johnson's list is entitled "Things Babies Born in 2011 will never know." Some of the items -- travel agents, encyclopedias, film cameras -- do not seem to be such tremendous losses, considering what has replaced them.
Others I'm not so sure about. Along with "the separation of work and home" and "talking to one person at a time," Johnson lists "hiding."
The introverts among us have definitely noticed that. A solitary walk in the park or on the beach doesn't do it anymore. Neither does driving long distances alone in a car. Loved ones would think you mad if you insisted on going off on a long car trip without a cell phone.
Up in the mountains? Not necessarily. On a trail ride in the high alpine above Sun Peaks, I was startled to hear the ring of a cellphone -- from the horse of the guide who rode in front of me. Diablo didn't even switch his tail. Obviously, it was nothing new for him.
This is the only thing that really worries me about the latest development in communications. The ability to take some time alone and choose to remain incommunicado is now a thing of the past. Some of us feel that as a dramatic loss.
Johnson's list is entitled "Things Babies Born in 2011 will never know." Some of the items -- travel agents, encyclopedias, film cameras -- do not seem to be such tremendous losses, considering what has replaced them.
Others I'm not so sure about. Along with "the separation of work and home" and "talking to one person at a time," Johnson lists "hiding."
The introverts among us have definitely noticed that. A solitary walk in the park or on the beach doesn't do it anymore. Neither does driving long distances alone in a car. Loved ones would think you mad if you insisted on going off on a long car trip without a cell phone.
Up in the mountains? Not necessarily. On a trail ride in the high alpine above Sun Peaks, I was startled to hear the ring of a cellphone -- from the horse of the guide who rode in front of me. Diablo didn't even switch his tail. Obviously, it was nothing new for him.
This is the only thing that really worries me about the latest development in communications. The ability to take some time alone and choose to remain incommunicado is now a thing of the past. Some of us feel that as a dramatic loss.