Over the past few weeks I've seen a man surf fishing, hand to ear, talking on his mobile; a young woman jogging along the beach, talking on her mobile; two bikini-clad teenagers sprawled on the sand, both talking on their phones.
I doubt these conversations were urgent and felt sadness for the people involved. Surely everyone has the right to 'time out', time to ' live in the moment' in a beautiful place without interruption from a mobile call. I acknowledge that mobile phones have a place in modern society; however, I believe their use to be in the extreme.
Carrying a mobile is good insurance in case of accident or emergency, but it doesn't need to be turned on, except if you're a doctor on call or you are in the midst of some personal emergency.
Being on call to family and friends 24/7 is -- for most of us -- unnecessary and I believe impacts on our personal space and freedom.
Those people on their mobiles always had the option of not taking the call or turning their phone off.
ReplyDeleteFor many, a conversation needn't be urgent for phone call to be taken on the beach, ...& isn't felt to intrude on 'time out' or 'living in the moment' ...nor impact negatively on personal space & freedom (anymore perhaps than talking with someone alongside you or listening to music or audio book whilst otherwise engaged).
What intrigues me is how / to what extent respective generations embrace & utilise new technology. (Reminded of my grandparents' (landline) phone not being for anything as frivilous as chatting!) They would be more astounded than I at modern living ...with relationships comprised in ever larger chunks of texting, emails, Facebook & the like. But is was ever so, ...evolution. It is a different world to that we grew up in. I love the greater choices we are enabled with mobile at hand, ...we can choose to share a beach sunset by voice or phone with absent partner or friend(s), can add a musical score to the scene, can have philosophical prodding by audio book while fishing, can purchase that something on Ebay, can arrange a morning tea or meeting next week ...or not. Surely the best of all worlds!