Monday, April 27, 2015

Cell Phone Addicts

Do you remember when cell phones were these huge devices that only made phone calls and were meant to just be used for emergencies? Do you remember when cell phones were considered luxuries and only rich people who had names like Thaddeus Waltham Jameson III, Esq. owned them? Can we go back to those days please?

Once I went to a movie where some teenage girl answered her cell phone during the movie. She deliberately put the call on speaker phone, and when the person who called her asked, "So what are you doing right now?" she answered, "Nothing much," and proceeded to talk loudly until everyone in the audience groaned collectively and acted like they were going to unleash their wrath and their popcorn upon her head. She finally walked out of the theater, continuing to chat with her friend on the phone.

When I study in coffee shops, I often notice people sitting nearby, who are on dates or hanging out with their friends. I can't help wondering if those people would be happier sitting at home alone with their true loves, specifically their cell phones, because they usually spend 95% of the time texting/Tweeting/taking selfies than actually talking to the people in front of them. I always think that if I were to grab the food they're eating and then lie across their table eating the food while talking about how lame it is to be obsessed with electronic devices, they wouldn't even look up from their phones.

I have a particular acquaintance who will text me and then disappear for hours during the middle of our conversation. Then he will come back hours later and start texting me again, without apology or explanation for the long absence. This person does this every time we text each other. The last time he did it, I asked him why he stopped texting for so long. But I made the mistake of texting my question to him, and he did not respond until A DAY LATER.

When this person does that, it makes me think that maybe he's multi-tasking or texting other friends while texting me. But the fact that I always have to wait hours for a response makes me feel like my conversation (and my feelings) do not matter at all.

When I was doing the online dating thing, guys rarely called. They preferred texting, because apparently it was less nerve-wracking for them. I don't expect long love letters like women in the past received from their suitors, but it would be nice to get something more than a text that says, "Hey what's up?" or a text that has nothing but winking emojis in it. (It's like, really? I'm 34, not 14.) I once dated a guy who spent more time texting (I suspected he was texting other women during our date) than he did actually looking at me. It was like, "Perhaps you should order a drink for your cell phone, too?"

I admit that I freaked out when my cell phone was stolen recently. Even though I don't know how to use more than half the apps on it, I do use it for e-mail, phone calls, Twitter, and the Internet. Still, if I'm with friends, I always focus on THEM, not my phone. I miss the days when I could walk around outside, go to a cafe, or ride the bus without looking around to see almost everyone glued to their phones. I don't think it's just about the desire to be constantly connected anymore. I think it's about the desire to be constantly entertained. But when people focus so much on their devices, they end up missing out on the real world around them, and I think that's wrong and kind of sad.

What about you? What are some of your pet peeves regarding your cell phones and the people who are addicted to them?

15 comments:

  1. I don't have an iPhone or a phone I can access with Internet with or take pictures with, so I'm not addicted my phone. What I hate the most is when people are visiting me, who I haven't seen in a while, and they are texting or taking calls while sitting on my couch!

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  2. I don't have an iPhone or a phone I can access with Internet with or take pictures with, so I'm not addicted my phone. What I hate the most is when people are visiting me, who I haven't seen in a while, and they are texting or taking calls while sitting on my couch!

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    1. Hi Chrys,
      Oh, I know what you mean! I don't understand why people like that would rather talk to the people on their phones than the people who are right in front of them. I think that a lot of them aren't even aware of the problem with their behavior, but they should be.

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  3. My (newly discovered) cell phone pet peeve is when people are in government buildings where cell phones are forbidden, nonetheless brazenly texting/web-surfing. I went to the DMV yesterday for a new license, and about 5 of the 10 people present had their cellphones out, in spite of 8 signs in the room that said 'No cell phones please!' I wanted to smack their phones out of their hands.

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    1. Hi SolariC,
      I wish employees would call them out on their behavior, but I bet even that wouldn't be enough to stop them. I still remember a life where people never used cell phones at all; now people get antsy if they haven't looked at their phones for more than five minutes.

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  4. I've probably mentioned it here before (I'm sure you've had a cellphone post in the recent past) but I HATE the selfie trend. NO. Stop it. Live the moment, don't photograph it!

    Apparently, in pubs over here (and maybe everywhere) people in pubs put their phones in the middle of the table. They put all their drinks for the evening on a tab. If someone feels the need to reach for their phone, they pay the whole tab. If no one does, it's split evenly. Sounds like a good deal!

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    1. Hi Annalisa,
      I love that pub tradition; I wish they'd do something like that here in Chicago! And I'm with you on the selfie trend. I just don't understand why people feel the need to take pictures of themselves wherever they go. I remember when we just had regular cameras and only took pictures on special occasions, like weddings or holidays. But now with social networking sites people are obsessed with getting as many views and "likes" as possible, so they post as many selfies as they can take. And some of the selfies I've seen people post are disturbing, to say the least; it's like, do they not realize that anything they post online can't ever really be deleted? Those selfies can and will follow them around for the rest of their lives.

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  5. Couldn't agree more. When I finally gave in and got a cell phone a few years back, I was afraid I'd become all zombish, too, but thankfully that never happened. Real, living people are so much more important.

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    1. Hi Melanie,
      Sorry about my late response; my computer's been on the fritz lately and I finally got it fixed today.
      Anyway, I think it's easier for us to not get attached to cell phones, because we can remember what life was like before cell phone use became common. Sometimes I can understand why the Amish don't use modern technology; they're able to focus on other aspects of their lives, like relationships with real people. I don't think I could adopt their lifestyles, though.

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  6. I know what you mean. I don't really have a texting habit. Don't know why. I guess I just never got into it, not even in the beginning.

    So I also find it annoying when people can't just look up for once.

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    1. Hi Misha,
      Sorry about my late response; my computer wasn't working properly.
      I never liked texting either. I think people like it because they can rewrite what they want to say; I think that unedited conversation is better and more honest.

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  7. I feel guilty if we go out to eat while on vacation and I'm too busy reading local papers and brochures at the table! Good thing I don't have a smart phone...

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    1. Hi Deniz,
      I think local papers would be interesting to read, because they portray the places you're visiting in a way that's different from how they're portrayed in guidebooks.
      Sometimes I think that the next time I replace my phone I should switch back to the basic flip phone rather than get a newer smart phone; I feel like I'll have a lot more free time as a result.

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  8. I love this post because it seems like nobody even realizes how glued to their phones they are. I am one of those weirdo Luddites that has never had a cell phone at all. I don't begrudge people for having them, but it really is sad to see people gathering together and all on their phones instead of talking or enjoying each others company.

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    1. Hi Shell,
      I know, right? I don't understand why they can't just put their phones away for at least an hour at a time. I had a friend who was leaving the country for a year, and we went out for lunch one last time; he spent more time talking on his phone than he did to me.
      That's impressive that you don't have a cell phone; I would probably save a lot of time and money if I didn't have a cell phone.

      Delete