I got a new phone.

Finally I was able to get a new phone line. But you know, I was able to survive without a mobile phone, just like back in high school, while everybody else thinks you cannot survive without it. O RLY? See, that's just the thing. Why do all of a sudden, kids and adults feel the need for cell phones when in fact, only people who work needed phones ages ago?

Back then, when you wanted to meet up with someone, you make a deal with that person beforehand. Choose a day, time and place. Then, either you show up or you don't. There's commitment (or lack of it) right there. You had a deal and you go with it, or you break it (for valid or inexcusable reasons, but well you made a decision). When you say you will meet at 3 P.M., no matter what happens you have to meet at 3 P.M. or you just don't show up at all and apologize the next time you talk. With cellular phones, a deal becomes complicated. You can change the time before the clock strikes 3 P.M. You can change the day with an SMS message. You can meet up somewhere else. I'm not saying this is a bad idea, but don't you see how we can easily become non-committal now? It's like, it's more convenient for us to make rash decisions because hey we have cellphones and we can make adjustments on a short notice.

Communication is also impaired with cell phones, even if it sounds odd. It's like we are too chicken to actually talk to the person. Instead of cellphones helping to bridge the gap between people (because you can't be with somebody ALL THE TIME), sometimes it widens the gap. How many times have you heard of breakups done with mobile phones, especially using text messaging? (My god, the horror!) How can you explain things very well with 160 characters or less?? Facial cues and body movements cannot be observed and spontaneity is hindered. And even if you do break up by talking to each other on the phone, that still is insincere because you don't face the person at all when in fact your relationship once mattered to both of you.

Like I said, it's easy for us to be non-committal now since we have mobile phones. It's convenient for us to change our minds on a whim. Cellphones aren't bad. Material things are never bad because material things don't have a sense of morality. It's the actions we do when we use these material things that are judged as good or bad. We have to use cellphones wisely and responsibly.

k tnx. txt bck asap.

tags: cellular  phone  mobile  cellphone  sms  text  message  commitment  communication  facial  cues  body  movements  

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