That's right. My pink Razr phone. You might laugh now, but in 8th grade, this was the coolest thing ever. I think I had 100 texts a month and maybe 60 minutes of calling to call my mom and let her know where I was. Man, this thing was the greatest ever.
Then came the generation of the Sidekick.
This brought a whole new world. A full keyboard that slid open. Plus the "Sidekick" written on the back. I would flip this bad boy open and heads would turn everywhere. I remember how I thought I was so neat, and while everyone still had those flip phones, I had something different.
Then, of course, I outgrew it. I moved onto the good ol' Blackberry.
I don't know why this was so cool, but it was. There was something sophisticated and business like that made me feel in control. I felt very mature with the simple layout of it.
And then, Apple came along, and I caught the Apple fever. I started out pretty low on the iPhone chain, with only a 3.
Eventually I worked my way up. I'm very into Apple now, and I feel a need to always have the latest and greatest.
I recently upgraded to the gold iPhone 5S, and I'm already anticipating the new iPhone release of 2014. The distance Apple has come over the years is incredible, but when you look at cell phones in general, it's even crazier.
We all know the change in technology has sky rocketed over the years. I don't bring this up to tell you things you already know, but rather to really analyze what has occurred over the years. Why is technology improving so rapidly? What is it about our generation that craves more?
When you compare the improvement of cell phones to McLuhan's Tetrad, it's easy to see why things have come to the point they are at today. The tetrad has four points:
- What does the medium enhance?
- What does the medium make obsolete?
- What does the medium retrieve that has been obsolesced earlier?
- What does the medium flip into when pushed to extremes?
Enhancements: The evolution of cell phones has become from something simply to call others to something that is a literal extension of a person. Connectivity, user friendliness, functions, speed, convenience, features, and ideas have all grown over the years. A phone used to be something that we would use to call up our family members and chat on a Sunday, and now our cell phones contain all our contacts, calendars, social media sites, bank accounts, email accounts, and even more. While before a cell phone was an accessory, it has become a necessity.
Obsolete: This past generation has become very reliant on technology, and it has been said that we lack social skills and face to face conversation. While our technology skills may be outstanding, many people have lost the ability to hold a simple conversation without the use of a cell phone.
Retrieve: Because it's so easy to download an app, the connectivity between lost connections has grown. Facebook allows others to find people they graduated with, old coworkers, and even that long, lost girlfriend you thought you'd never have to talk to again. Almost everyone has a social profile of some sort that others can access and use to reconnect.
Flip: Technology addictions are something that were first a joke, but have now become very real. When people misplace their phone, they pace and scream "Where's my phone?!" and search frantically until it is found. When going out on a drive, if someone forgets their phone, they will immediately turn around and get it. Some can't even go one day without a phone. Competition for the newest and greatest phone is also a problem, and people can base the social status of others based on what phone they have. Many things about cell phones have become artificial, and people misuse them every day.
While I am a part of the technology generation, I try to minimize my use and control what I use my phone for. Literally anything I want is in the palm of my hand with just a click to download, but with that power comes great responsibility as well.
Good post. I like how you applied the tetrad to cell phones. It's crazy how far cell phones have evolved over the years, and how dependent we are to them today. One of my friends still has his same flip phone he used in high school. Sometimes we make fun of him because he refuses to get a smartphone. Technology and smartphones are certainly necessary for many things, but he somehow survives without one. It makes me think how much of technology and social media is actually necessary and what we actually need to survive. I love technology, but sometimes we become too dependent on the online world, just like you said.
ReplyDeleteLoved your post! Your cell phone history drew me in. I just got a smartphone this summer, and I don't know how I ever got along without it. I use it for email, facebook, pinterest, youtube, scriptures, checking Google docs and spreadsheets, everything. My service provider doesn't get very good service in my hometown (I'm from a really rural area), so I kind of went nuts when I didn't have signal to call/text/check google maps/email/check facebook etc... Like you talked about in your post, people are attached to their phones. Iif we can reach them on their phones, we've got practically unlimited access to an audience.
ReplyDeleteI liked watching your evolution of cell phones and being able to think about how quickly technology advances and changes. It's interesting to note how the tetrad works with regards to technology and cell phones, I liked your application of it in that instance. Also, it's crucial to remember how important it is to have unplugged time, and I liked how you touched on that with people who freak out when they don't have their phones. I've definitely had that experience, where I'm stressed because my phone is dead or I don't have it, but it's important to remember that unplugged time allows us to reconnect with reality and stay grounded. Good thoughts Clara!
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