Living life entirely without restriction is truly impossible. When we were children we had parents who would tell us when we had to be home or how much milk we had to drink per day. Upon getting our drivers license there were intersections indicating when we can go and when we need to slow down. Prior to wireless cell phones we were even restricted as to where we could make phone calls. The rotary phone which will soon be classified as an ancient antique is a perfect example of a medium whose wires restricted our daily lives.
The location of the rotary phone in the home could make or break your social life. Privacy was almost nonexistent depending on the length of the cord because usually the rotary phone was located in the most highly trafficked room in the house. This made talking with friends extremely difficult. Parents and siblings knew more about your life than you would normally care to share with them. It almost wasn’t worth making a phone call unless you were home alone by yourself.
Technological advancements were made so that phones no longer had cords. Meaning people were free to walk talk on the phone around their home at their own leisure. Being able to avoid nosey listeners was a lot easier once phones were not longer connected to the wall. Our society was taken a step further upon the introduction of the cell phone. No longer were telephone conversations restricted within the walls of our own homes. Telephone conversations could now be held while one ran errands down the street or in a different neighborhood. The only restrictions we have to deal with now is cell service. I'm not sure if its appropriate for me to complain considering technology has come so far but, when are we going to make dropped calls a thing of the past?
While I like my cordless cell phone and heavily depend on it, I would still prefer the old-style home phone with a cord attached and bound to stay in one room. With my cell phone I always know where is, because I either put it in my pocket or I leave it next to my bed on my desk. Therefore whenever someone calls or I want to make a call I know exactly where to look.
ReplyDeleteWith the shared cordless phones at home this is a completely different story: Is it in my sister's room? Is it charging upstairs? Is it in the basement were my mom left it after doing laundry? Or is it in the living room? Searching the entire house for a phone when trying to make a simple 45 second phone call to a friend or when someone is calling and you hear a phone ring somewhere where I can't locate it, always annoys me when I am at home.
Don't get me wrong: I love my cell phone, am glad for this technological advancement and also am annoyed by dropped calls (especially in my dorm room this year), but when at home I would still prefer the old school way.
Have you thought of the possiility that cordless phone freed you from your parents' evesdropping of your private conversation, but at the same time it exposed you to the eavesdropping of just a random stranger on the street? The link w/ cellphone and privacy is new, a very interesting, but arguable point.
ReplyDeleteI like your personal reflections about the wireles technology. But showing awareness about the opposite argument would make your point more convincing.
d.e.