Pick one concept from the assigned reading, that we have not already discussed, that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.
I was particularly interested in the topic of Mobile Telephony. This is in large part to my addiction to my cell phone. I cannot live without it, and can admit that even though it is sad. I remember as a child my mom had one of those big cell phones that looked like a walkie-talkie. The plans for them were expensive because they weren't as widely used. Now, pretty much anyone can get a cell phone- contract or no contract. I think that the cell phone has caused great challenges for human relationships. This is discussed on page 331 in regards to aproximeeting and phone-shielding. I am guilty of both! I mostly phone-shield when I am at the mall and don't want to be bothered by those silly people at the kiosks. Although the book touches on SMS messaging, I want to say quickly that even though text messaging is convenient, it can often be inappropriate. I don't think it is courteous or professional to handle any type of business over a text message. Text messages get misinterpreted daily. This is because the person receiving the message cannot tell the tone in which the message is being sent. A lot of questions are drawn like, "Is the exclamation point at the end of that text excited or demanding?" "Is this person getting an attitude with me?" "Am I being blown off?" As you have probably noticed, the questions aren't anything positive. This is where I think face-to-face interaction is absolutely necessary, or at least traditional phone (voice) interaction.
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I see your point about cell phones. They tend to dominate our lives more than we sometimes admit, and I commend you on your ability to do so :). Someone actually mentioned to me today that it's funny how people used to be able to leave their house perfectly fine without having a cell phone, and now it's like our lives depend on them. I also agree with you about how the phone can be very impersonal at times, and people should be mindful about how their messages may be received and choose their medium of communication accordingly. Unfortunately, I think the convenience of cell phones outweighs possible miscommunication for people.
ReplyDeleteI hate the way I depend on my cell phone. I feel like my life is on hold when I do not have it. I wish I would have never gotten a cell phone and began this dependance I have for it. It is really sad. Although there are a lot of positive things that come out of having a cell phone. I had to deliver some material to Sacramento for my job and I made a map. On the way to Sacramento the directions flew out of the window. I pulled out my cell phone and opened up my email. From there I was able to get the address and get directions from Google. I would have been lost in Sacramento and would have messed up a work day for the guys that needed the material. So cell phones are a gift as well as a curse.
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