Mobile Devices have revolutionised the way
with live, work and interact with one another. Like any new romance we are in
the honeymoon stage where we are in love with our devices, we check in with
them numerous times a day. Although some cracks are
showing in terms of the social costs of being switched on 24/7.
Some of this weeks learning’s are based on
a book by Sherry Turkle called ‘Alone Together’ the title explains a lot. The
pressure to be on 24/7 are turning our everyday movements into social media stage
performances where our friends our becoming our fans. We are sadly starting to
expect more from technology than we do from each other.
Another huge crack that is showing is with our
children; the current generation that doesn’t know a life without devices. They
unwittingly look at us for guidance yet like any pioneers we don’t really know
what we are doing ourselves.
At the breakfast table parents are busy
checking their emails via their mobile devices whilst ostracising their kids.
But I ask the question how is this different to a parent reading the morning
paper?
Jenelle Burley
Hoffman (a clever mum) drew up
this CONTRACT to give to her son when she
bought him his first mobile phone. She wants him to ‘coeexist with technology
and not be ruled by it’.
This contract should be rolled out to the general
populous, bringing some rules into the social etiquette around using mobile
devices in public. Here are
3 of my favourite from the list;
Turn it off, silence it, put it away in public. Especially in a
restaurant, at the movies or while speaking with another human being.
Don’t take a zillion pictures and videos. There is no need to
document everything. Live your experiences.
Leave your phone home sometimes…It is not alive or an extension
of you. Learn to live without it.
I would like to see a movement, wherein if
these rules aren’t followed you can run the risk of being seen as a social
outcast. In an article titled ‘Digital Divide’ by Hans Geser, he can see a
future where the mobile phone becomes a negative status symbol building an
affinity with lower class culture therefore a conspicuous absence would be an
indicator of positive social distinction.
So like any good and healthy relationship
we need to know the boundaries and how to behave in order to show respect and
grow in the right way. At the risk of becoming a disconnected society we need
to still get excited and embrace the plethora of technological opportunities
whilst not forgetting those around us.
Burley Hoffman, J 2013, ‘Gregorys IPhone Contract’ http://www.janellburleyhofmann.com/postjournal/gregorys-iphone-contract/#.UpchmL8qRV4,
viewed 27 November 2013
Geser, H 2006, 'Is the Cell
Phone Undermining the Social Order?: Understanding Mobile Technology from a
Sociological Perspective', Knowledge, Technology & Policy, 19, 1, p. 8,
MasterFILE Premier, EBSCOhost, viewed 29 November 2013.
Turkle, S 2012, ‘Alone
Together’, Basic Books, EBSChost, viewed 27 November 2013
