Friday, October 13, 2023
On a recent bike ride, I was sitting in a park near the water, and I was checking my phone. I glanced up and noticed an elderly gentleman and his wife pass me by. After they walked on, I put my phone down and just sat and looked out at the water. Shortly after, the same couple passed by again going back from whence they came. This time I waved at them, and the man said (after he noticed me on my phone earlier), “Where would we be without our cellphones?” To that I replied, “We’d be happier!” He smiled and agreed with a thumb’s up as he walked on.
Technology is meant to serve, but it often enslaves. Think of what would happen if the internet crashed? Everything is dependent on the internet from communication and records to transportation and currency. Think about the world 50 years ago. We had no internet, and we seemed to get along just fine. Each generation prior did just fine with simplicity.
Where would we be without our cellphones? We’d be together, sharing time face-to-face. We’d be lost, trying to read a map and having to stop at a convenience store and ask for directions; and maybe even get a good restaurant recommendation from the store clerk. We’d meet the love of our life at a gathering or at the supermarket. We’d be sharing stories and laughing together, rather than posting images online and waiting for a “like.” We’d be more restrained, not telling people ugly things, anonymously hiding behind a “profile.” We’d be more authentic, not able to create a fake persona. We’d be more available, less distracted. We’d be less individualized and one with the community. Where would we be without our cellphones? We’d be right here, right now, together in the spirit of human bonding.