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I Put My Cellphone Down
Why did it bother me so much?
Through a technical issue, I had to give up my cell phone recently for a couple days. My initial reaction looked like what happens to a squirrel when its clipped by a car tire. It goes through a series of erratic movements, resembling a seizure. Then at some point it stops — either on the side of the road checking the damage to its body, or worse because it was killed. I make this grotesque comparison because that’s what it felt like for a few moments.
I know the jokes made about teenagers who say they “can’t live without their phones” & I’ve met adults who make similar comments. In acknowledging that initial feeling I had, it produced some questions I need to consider.
As soon as I calmed down I immediately considered the implications of my frustration & worry. Are these feelings valid? If so, to what extent? If they are not, then what does that say about our need to have our phones with us as a society?
What value have we placed on our phones?
We existed as a species before cell phones. The invention of communication like newspaper, telegram, to land line phones have all…
