The one aspect from Fischer’s America Calling I was most intrigued by was the idea of telephones
and space. When I think about phones, I think about how a person can stay
connected with another person by a push of a button, no matter how close or far
he or she is. This reading exposed me to a larger idea of spacing, however, as
on page 24 Fischer claims that telephones have “altered the physical layout of
American cities”. The fact that “telephone conversations erase the ‘friction of
space’” supports the idea that they also “reduce the importance of central
location” (Fischer 24). I find it mindboggling how one piece of technology can
change an entire structure of a community. My mom always talks about how when
she was growing up, her aunt lived two houses down from her and her uncle
around the block and she would run down the street to ask them a question or
just stop by for conversation. In today’s day and age, it is safe to say that
almost every single household in my community has a telephone, so living close
to your family or friends is not as necessary as it was forty years or so ago.
The
telephone has not only changed the physical layout of communities, but this
article describes how it has also altered the mindset of society as well.
Fischer believes that telephone use has created an “alert, tense, ‘speedy’
frame of mind” (25) and it seems as though everywhere I go I find this to be
true. Whether it is hitting speed dial on your cell phone, or sending a bunch
of text messages rapid fire, we as a society are always on the go. I really do
wonder that if telephones and cell phones were to disappear, would we still
live such a fast paced lifestyle? Although cars and easy access public
transportation also have a lot to do with the rush of daily activities, I think
that phones support such a lifestyle even more since they keep us constantly
connected and we can update others at any moment with where exactly we are,
what we are doing, and when we will arrive at the next place.
I also find it so mindboggling how
quickly we have grown as an entire population of technology users. This New
York Times article was published in 1990 and is about cellular telephones and
how the author believes they will be the next up and coming “big thing”. It is
so strange to think about how imagining a phone that is “small enough to be
slipped into a shirt pocket or purse” (New York Times) was amazing at the time.
Motorola Inc. was one the most popular phone companies during this time period,
and the article discusses a lot about the introduction of the Mictrotac, which
is described as “a hand-held phone the size of a wallet or checkbook with the
same performance as large mobile phones”. Here is a link of Google Images to see what the Mictrotac looks like.
Looking at the image makes me laugh since at the time, it was the smallest, lightest
portable phone on the market. Can you imagine if we still had these?
The America Calling and New York
Times articles both display the rapid advancements of technology over time. I
think that telephones are one of the most important pieces of technology we
have to date, and the strides we’ve been making with them seem to keep getting
increasingly bigger. But when will they be too big? In class we often discuss
how cell phones in particular are one of the largest sources of distraction. At
first, telephones were used with the sole purpose to connect people, giving
them the opportunity to hear one another’s voice and take part in conversation.
Now, telephones are being overpowered by mobile phones, where social media,
email, and games are all becoming the intended use. Will there ever be a time
when we can just be satisfied where we are at and keep the technology to having
one purpose and one purpose only, or will we always need to find a way to
out-do ourselves?
-Tori Steinberg
-Tori Steinberg
I completely agree with your second paragraph. We are in a society that has a need for speed in all aspects of life. I strongly advocate that this is the reason why technology is always changing. It needs to be faster and more efficient to keep up with the lifestyles of those in today's world.
ReplyDeleteYou ask that if telephones were to disappear, would we still have such a fast paced lifestyle. I do not think we would. Personally, I think having telephones, especially cellular phones, make us uptight about what is going on around us which results in the speedy lifestyle. For example, with smart phones in particular, a random fact can be known with the touch of a finger instead of a trip to the library.
The article you refer to is definitely a middle school flash back. Now that I have an iPhone, I can't imagine using a Mictrotac now, but if it was not for our constant need for speed, we would probably still have similar devices.
Thanks for your comment Bethany! I definitely agree with you that technology, especially cell phones, contribute to the craze of speed in society in the sense that everything is available to us within seconds of pushing a button. That's funny that you said the New York Times article reminds you of middle school because that's when I got my first cell phone! This goes to show how people of our age and our generation have similar experiences growing up with technology.
DeleteThe idea of phones "taking over our world" is so relevant today more than ever with the invention of the smart phone. The Mictrotac phone and the mobile phone were both a huge deal when released because they made communication more accessible and mobile. However, today the mobile phone does a lot more than that.
ReplyDeleteThe smart phone today as Bethany mentioned above provides us with information at our fingertips, which is a completely new facet of the phone industry. The flip phone, like the Razr, something our age group grew up with, will soon be obsolete. This is such a crazy thing to think about because it is a product of our generation. Technology has progressed so much over the past few years, it is incredible. Overall, I completely agree with you in the idea that phones have rearranged our society.
Thanks for your comment Paige! There's no doubt that, like you and Bethany said, the smart phones have completely changed the way in which we use technology. It's strange to think about how the children of our younger generation may not ever know what a Razr or flip phone is, since almost all the cell phones nowadays are all touch screen smart phones. This showcases just how fast technology is advancing.
DeleteThe telephone has transformed our world. Like you have said above, we not only have seen how the telephone itself has changed over time, but also the impact and changes it has caused on our world. The phone has transformed a lot over time. All the way from rotary phones to wireless home phones, to the iPhone that almost everyone has now. These phones transform as the lives of the consumers change. Phones have become more convenient and fit for our fast paced lifestyles. I recently saw an ad from 1991 for Radio Shack, advertising several different products. Every single one of the products being advertised was something that my iPhone could do with one touch of a button. It is weird and exciting to see how technology changes in accordance with the consumers' lives. Even when Paige talked about the Razr phone that brought back some memories. I recalled begging for the pink Razr in middle school and was so excited when I got it. Now, I would never be able to survive with that phone because all it could do was make phone calls and play Tetris. As people lives changed so does the technology to accommodate their lives and the needs of the people.
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting Eden! You also had a pink Razr phone in middle school?! That was obviously the hot new product during that time period. It is also interesting, yet not that surprising, that the Radio Shack advertisements each individually could do what a smart phone does all at once. This can be an example of the technological convergence we see with every new product that hits the shelves.
DeleteGood post Tori! It's so crazy to think that people would find each other in person to talk but today it's completely different. I wish we could go back to that because I feel like friendships and conversations flow better in person. With cell phones, even though we are constantly connected there is still some miscommunication because emotions are hard to read over text. We hide too often behind our phones and rely on them for this barrier. Sometimes people will say things on their cell phones but would never say it in person. It's also interesting to think that the original purpose of telephones was for business as the text said. However now it has become much more about the social aspect like you all mentioned with Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Do you guys ever wish that cell phones would disappear? Sometimes I do because in today's society we are constantly available and can never disconnect which isn't fair because nobody can get a break especially when people work from their phones. Can you imagine what college would be like if we didn't have cell phones to constantly play on and we had to use a hall phone to call? It would be a neat thing for all of us to experience. I bet it would make us appreciate our time better and be more present in conversations.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the response Bri! I couldn't agree with you more that we often hide behind our phones; I know personally if I'm in an uncomfortable situation or don't really know anyone around me, I take out my phone even though I'm not even using it. It is kind of scary just how much of a security blanket a cell phone, an iPod, or a tablet could be. Your idea about only having a hall phone to use here at Ursinus sounds very interesting! The more I think about it, I'd probably only call my parents and maybe my best friend from home. But then why do I find it necessary to constantly be talking/texting/snapchatting all of the rest of my contacts in my phone all the time? I find it so frustrating knowing that I rely on my cell phone so much when I really don't need it for half of the stuff I do.
DeleteYes exactly Tor! Seriously I agree with all of this. I use my phone for comfort so much and then when I actually think about it it's ridiculous how much I just gravitate toward it out of habit. What I try to do is challenge myself and put it out of my sight so I won't constantly check if there is a new message or snap chat. When I find myself always on it, I ask myself, why do I even bother doing this? What good is snap chatting doing for me? All of these social media sites have become an integral part of our daily lives which is sad and I'm guilty of it.
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