Are you paying attention?
On 3rd April 1973 the first public cell phone call was made in New York. And on the same date in 1986, IBM unveiled their first laptop computer.
Which leads me to discuss the modern 'epidemic', continuous partial attention, whereby we never give anything our constant focus, so distracted are we by our mobile phones, texts, IMs, Blackberrys (Blackberries?) and the like. I'm not too guilty of this myself - mostly due to my limited social circle than my refusal to subscribe to bad technology etiquette - but I am very aware of the failure of most people to give their full attention. This has led me to do the same - when in conversation, I gaze out of the window or fail to make eye contact far more frequently than I ever used to - and I'm sure this is because I don't see why I should make the effort when other people don't grant me that courtesy.
Do we really have so much to do these days that we have to do everything at once just to fit it all in? I don't think so. And all this technology was supposed to make things easier, give us more leisure time. But most of our leisure time is now taken up with the technology. OK, so I'm spending some lovely free time, right now, on a sunny Spring afternoon, writing this rant on my wireless broadband-connected laptop. I'm also logged into 2 e-mail accounts, Instant Messenger and I have my mobile phone by my side. Oh, and my landline phone just rang (but I didn't answer it - number withheld - so I don't even want to talk to people who want to talk to me!).So, what's my point? I don't really know! Except that there's never anything on TV that I want to watch, but I was bereft when my Sky+ box went kaput. And, the only text message I've had on my mobile all week was from Wimbledon greyhound stadium offering me a free night out at the 'dogs', yet if I leave my phone at home I feel like I'm missing a limb. The technology's all very well, but I still need to get a life! Still, at least my iPod understands me!
P.S. I just saw a TV advert for Rubik's Cube. Remember when we were all twisting and clicking those to the exclusion of everything else? Maybe times haven't changed that much after all...!
posted by jomoore @ 5:11 pm
3 comments
3 Comments:
I'm sorry - I got half-way through the 2nd paragraph and realised that I couldn't be bothered.
If you can please email me the text of your blogs, in advance, I should be able to make enough time at work to comment within 3 working days.
This is a recorded message...
good blog my dear........
Lots of things that make me smile and say yep I do that, oh and that, and i know somebody who's like that etc etc.
I have thought about this a lot of late strangley enough.
The way we no longer dwell, meditate or just think deeply about stuff is effecting our judgement. This can be seen in the workplace and in government where they have to make snap decisions without giving things enough consideration time. Being a bit too serious for my own good here. My opinion is that these 'distractions' have led to an epidemic of bad decisions. Companies are the worst, they make huge changes just because of a tough financial quarter! The knock on effect for individuals by this behaviour is devastating.
For our kids all these things just add to the ADHD thats the norm today and blurrs their learning. ?(are you drifting off yet?) I also feel kids should be banned from taking gadgets to school. I was allowed to use a calculator when doing trigonometry, does that count?
I would also be bold enough to link this with the huge increase in stress related disorders. We are not made to except so much data without regular breaks from it. (as you can see I back this all up with sound medical evidence!!!) Stress and depression is our mind and body malfunctioning and telling us it has had enough.
anyway got to get back to my email and the phones ringing. (wonder if i won that Ebay auction?)
sorry about the highhorse i've just come in on!
take care
:-) chux
I've got a Rubiks Cube..... I used to be very very good at it, but now, well....
I'm VERY guilty of all those things you mention..... Sometimes I wonder if deep doen I think if I get just one more e-mail account or the newest phone someone, somewhere will conntact me.
I onec had someone call and ask if I wanted a conservatory.... I said yes, come on round and gimme an estimate... No one came round in the end.... but I'd still like to know how many floors they managed to clime before they realised I lived in a block of flats.
Someday, we'll all feel like this.
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