Cellphone 2.0

My wife is a versatile writer, she puts so much diversity in her writing. When she writes about a topic there is something in it for the professional writer and the simple guy like me. She wrote a story about a girl with split personality and the climax kept haunting me for a long time.

This is one such article that is on he website, she chooses to call these scribblings as she could write them at any time.

On Cell Phones

I agree that the ubiquitous cell phone is the most useful gadget today that lets you keep in touch with your near and dears, while you go about your work. As I walk around campus, I see every other person on a cell phone, yakking away. I always wondered if they permanently attach their phones to their ears so it's easier to talk. But I pose this question now - Are we all becoming little islands who can communicate only with the latest gadget that technology has given us? What about talking to people who are near and around us? I saw this picture on the back cover of a magazine titled "dinner for two" , where the dinner table at a restaurant was set for a romantic dinner , and the man and the woman were both talking over their cell phones , ignoring each other , while the food grew cold . Looks like there was no point in them going out to celebrate a "romantic" evening out, when all they did was talk over their cell phones! And this is what happens even during a party these days. People get together to have a good time with their friends. Before long, someone's cell phone starts ringing, and this goes on until everyone is talking - to their cell phones and then the party has ended before you know it! I don't know how many people out there would agree with me that cell phones are useful but we must know where to draw the line between usage and addiction. I think we should spend time getting to know people around us better, before we start chatting away to glory on our cell phones.

See what I am saying, there is anger, power and a message in it, not to mention the warning, that I better give her undivided attention during a dinner outing.

Oops, hang on, I am getting a call on my cellphone, never mind it’s a friend I want to ignore anyway. He’s probably calling me (for the third time this week) to give him some money. Not a big amount but he’s been kind of persistent. I finally decide not to give it to him, even though it is I who actually owe him ;).

People look at mobile phones as means a means to establish relationships and communication. Myself being a wannabe-unique- guy, think that they are invisible walls to human interaction. Many of my friends I know do not pick up a call from unknown numbers. They wait until they get the voice mail and then decide on calling back. Wall, indeed!

Many people who communicate flawlessly over their mobile phones to the person on the other side fail miserably when they meet face to face. I myself have been in those awkward situations where I would be the epitome of confidence of the phone only to shy away and stammer when meeting in person.

I think we’re becoming what my wife aptly said, “islands”.

In the future say a couple of decades from now, a person will be unable to meet a stranger and start a conversation with ease. They might smile at each other exchange numbers and call up each other to talk. This could be an interesting premise for a Spielberg movie!

Alright, I have to call up a couple of friends on my mobile now, how else would I justify my free weekend minutes!