Timothy Lawton

Today, in one of my classes, I finally had it. While I was teaching at least three students (and that’s out of eight) were on their cell phones either texting or looking at messages. In truth this is really not unusual, but for some reason it struck a chord with me. I snapped into a tirade about why I hate cell phones. To anyone who knows me this is no surprise. Yet, the succinctness of my reasoning caught my own attention. This was not a planned, or well thought out, diatrabe on the evils of cell phones, but a gutteral reaction.

Leaving behind all the ecological reasons for hating cell phones I centered in on the sociological reasons that I detest these pieces of technology. Yes, they have their purposes, but their distractions, over use, potential to give an entire generation carpal tunal syndrome, diminishment of social skills and the general rules of courtesy far out weigh any good that comes from them. Simply put cell phones cause those who use them to never be where they are. Much like Luke Skywalker being scolded by Yoda for always thinking about the future this hand held technology causes people to never really be able to live in the moment.

When I asked my students what they were texting about all three said that they were making plans for the weekend. It was bad enough that they weren’t listening to my lesson (and awesome it was), but this translates to all social situations as well. I pointed out to them that when they are actually hanging out with their friends this weekend that at that time they would be so attatched to these gadgets that they would then be missing out on what was going on around them at that time. This does not only apply to our youth, but also to the adults in our culture. How many times are we at parties, social engagements, meetings, or any other function and someone’s phone goes off? Or, they are sitting eyes fixated on their dopey little screen trying to discern whatever inanity that may currently be presenting itself. How many times are conversations cut short, forgotten, or interrupted because someone sent some meaningless transmission via the cell phone?

Do those who own these contraptions ever get a moments peace? Is there ever a time when they actually look out onto the world undisturbed? Can they ever enjoy nature, or other people, when they have these things on them? The contented feeling I have of not owning a cell phone is reinforced every time I hear a “ring tone” shouting out that more useless information is being conveyed by invisible light waves through our atmosphere. Mankind had survived without these monstrosities for over 5 millenia don’t tell me we “need” them now!!

PS  Just as I was closing this blog I received a phone call from a cell phone. Ironically I sat there repeating hello about a dozen times getting occasional sounds from my landline, but to no avail. Finally I hung up and waited for the inevitable call back. Shortly there after the phone rang again and I was treated to the now infamous line, “Can yo hear me?” a number of times. This reminded me of the countless dropped calls where I have either droned on for a while into a dead phone unbenounced to myself or have been cut off at the most important part of a phone call whether it be a political debate or a significant matter. All these technical problems considered and I still have to mention the constant missed word or phrase and the general choppieness and background noise that comes with cell phones. Alexander Grahm Bell would probably be impressed with the cell phone’s portability, but distressed with it’s massive steps backward in quality. All in all I’m glad I don’t own one and hope I never do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!