Family on the Phone

Does anyone else think that maybe, just maybe we have become a little too obsessed with our cell phones or other technology based communication devices?

I’m sure that sounds odd coming from someone who is a professed phone-a-holic. I feel rather aged and old fashioned sometimes when I watch the teenage and preteen friends of my children as they   seem to have difficulty functioning without a cell phone in one hand. Even my adult friends seem to be texting while they are busy doing something else.

I remember the very first cell phone my parents ever bought.

It was a Motorola bag phone and weighed about 4 pounds I think. It was so fascinating to realize we could actually call someone while we were in the car! It seems to me that people used to purchase a cell phone to give them additional peace of mind or security.  After all, if you got a flat tire or ran out of gas you could call for help.

Nowadays, I think there are a plethora of reasons people choose to use cell phones. They are much smaller and less expensive now, so they are more available to the general population. The price of plans and the features that are offered make the cell competitive in many cases with a land line. Businesses have the convenience of faster communication between their customers, service and support staff.  All of these things have contributed to the increased popularity of cell phones.

However, I also feel that there has been a fundamental shift in the mindset people have about their phones. The cell phone used to bring a sense of security or perhaps even peace just because people knew help was only a call away if they needed it. The Business man on the road knew he wouldn’t have to miss that all important call from his boss or potential client. The parents of a teen driver knew they could call their child if he or she was late getting home.

Today though, I wonder if the sense of peace and security a cell phone can bring is all but squelched by the obsession over “staying in touch”.

Why is it so many people literally jump to answer their phones every single time they ring?  As a society, why can’t we turn our  phones off in the middle of a meeting? Why must we send and return text messages in the middle of dinner?  Didn’t we used to be able to go to the bathroom without answering our phones for heaven‘s sake? It seems a little sad to me that the cell phone appears to have a stranglehold on  its owner in so many situations.

So, here’s my question for you.

Has having a cell phone added to the stress in your life or has it given you more peace and security? I’d really love to know.

photo credit: Foxtongue