Are We Really Connected?

Posted by Q.Haynes

The cell phone is indeed one of the best devices known to mankind. Just about everyone owns a cell phone. In addition to that, with technology becoming more advanced, we can do more than just talk on the phone. We use our cell phones for just about anything. They're our alarm clocks, gps, cameras, they have games on them. Without a doubt, there are an array of advantages that comes with using having a cell phone, but disadvantages come along with it.

To begin with, We can barely focus when our cell phones are near. We use them in class when we're supposed to be attentive, they're close at hand when doing homework and when walking down street, people barely look at where they're going because they're texting or web surfing. Our cell phones are glued to us and as a result of that, we have a sense of over reliance on our cell phones. If we were to lose our phones, it's almost as if we lost a vital organ. We can't live without them.

Families can become disrupted and marriages may end because of the cell phone. A Husband would rather play beat of level of Angry Birds than cuddle with wife while watching a movie. A mother would have text her friend than read a story to her child. Members of a house hold can be so consumed by their phones that personal interaction with one another is non-existent.

Although cellphones are great wonderful devices. They also take away that human-to human contact that is needed in society.

FUTURE, FASTER, AND FACETIME

Submitted By Shanea Hannibal

Let’s admit it people, no matter how young or old, we are addicted to the mass production of new cellular devices thrown in our face every day! This is the future and beyond for media and technology of the world. We just love the feel of a touch screen, the rapidly fast progress of connects with via Internet, messaging, downloading, and who doesn’t love Wi-Fi. Just looking at those advertisements like the commercials, billboards, and the biggest yet- seeing other people carry their high-tech phones just gives you the urge to go out and buy one for yourself, whether it’s an IPhone, Blackberry, Samsung, HTC, or Motorola Droid. 

 

These phones supply us with everything we need in one little package. How much better could life get. The fact of the matter is, do we really give this any thought? I mean do we really need this much information at our every touch with just a tap of the finger. What good is it to pick up a book Books when we can buy them on our phones, who needs to actual sit and watch a movie with friends I can buy it on my phone and multi-task, who needs to go all the way to Home Depot for flash lights, I get it on my phone! They supply use with so much today we don’t need to utilize other resources.

This creates social isolation as well. We as people get so lost in all with what technology offers and what it allows us to do that we overlook everything else around us. I mean seriously, text message and picture mail use to be the huge diversion to our lifestyles but now it’s more than that. You have people flying you e-mails, IMs, notifications from your social networks (Facebook, MySpace, or Twitter), video-chatting and do we ignore them- I think not. Why is it so important for us to be socially involved (but really nonsocial) over something so materialistic. If you drop your cell phone and it breaks- which happens often, you have no choice to wait for a new phone to ship out about a week later- unless you have insurance. The fact of the matter is what will you do? Go days without talking to anyone or physically go out your way to pick up a house phone or even better take a walk or ride to see the person and actually hold a human-like conversation with them. 

 

The fact of the matter is that we can’t lose ourselves within the social skills we obtained from the young age of infants. Do we really want our next generation to grow up only learning the language of computer-cell phone dialogue; LOL, OMG, TTYL, WTF, and etc. Technology is making headway everyday (oh yes, there are scientists discussing about 8G speed at this very moment) do we really want to become the victims of new advancements, when the only added feature is a slight more storage space and a unusual color and shape to look fresh.