What was that - mobile phone ?
I am a person that lived through two thirds of my life without a mobile phone, and I do clearly remember the idea and the “big talk” about the phone that is not based on a home line but on tapersonal identity. The idea seemed amazing: you carry your wireless phone and people can call you - wherever you are.
Because you don’t have to make and receive phone calls only at home or office, you are becoming available for everybody everywhere.
Today, the mobile phone is a symbol of urban life. It is not about being available and being able to communicate at any time from any place; it’s much more than that. Mobile phones have turned into devices that inform and direct us; it’s a computer, radio, music player, Internet browser, advertising display and soon a television.
The development of wireless technology didn’t only reflect on the vast usage of this device, but also started to build the standards in the media production. In general, it is bringing about a new field in media production and new aesthetic – ethic.
What can be seen on the “small” screen is now a matter of global industry development. The power is obviously going to be in the hands of those who are owners of the signal.
Still, one day it might be easier to see a video report about a certain company on your mobile screen than using computer and Internet to visit their web site. As I write about this, it is presumably already happening. We are witnessing the power of the wireless.
Undoubtedly, we are going to consume mobile technology more and more and as we couldn’t predict the present situation, we can not be sure to which extent mobile technology will affect our social and private lives in the future.
Let’s notice how this wireless power affects people’s behavior in a social environment. Considering how much attention a person is giving to this special device, I am wondering what can be more private (important) than a mobile ? How many times have you seen or taken part in a scene such as this:
A couple is walking down Fitzroy st. in St Kilda. I recognize him and I see he has a girlfriend now.
He is holding her hand as she is walking from his right side. But in his left hand is the mobile phone and he is talking to somebody else.
The girl is not part of this conversation. Although she keeps her hand in his and walks along with him, she is looking somewhere in front, into the distance. I guess she is trying to make her physical presence less noticeable, trying to give him a sort of privacy while he is on the phone.
Hypothetically, did she or did she not take part in this conversation? She heard the whole conversation and it is now information that she owns, want that or not. What to do with this information is an issue to discuss.
The moment somebody you are talking to answers their phone you are “on hold”. Also, you can’t take this as an impolite gesture, since nobody knew the mobile was going to ring and on the other hand you might get a call every moment.
Politeness in such circumstances is a matter of your individual judgment and I would really like to see someone publishing a manual with a title like as: “ The culture of using a mobile phone in social environment -manners & tactics”.
An article from MX news, Melbourne,18/03/05
The power of SEND
Person A and person B are sms-ing about person C. They are criticizing person C’s behavior on a certain occasion.
These messages are turning into an interesting discussion. At last, person A manages to put their opinion along with the explanation of where that opinion is coming from in the form of one standard sms length.
Then, driven by a whole issue, person A picks up the contact number of person C and sends this message.
After pressing “Yes” it was too late. The message has gone; there is no un-do.
I was discussing this later with person A and we both agreed that it turned out quite good, almost like it was not an accident.
Living an urban life doesn’t give us an option to see a mobile phone as a matter of choice. There are a very small number of people that manage to function in contemporary society without a mobile phone. I can only say that these people must have some special organizational skills.
I personally have an ambivalent relationship to my mobile. Sometimes I just can not imagine going through the day without it, but there are moments when I’d rather choose to be “unavailable”.
When you decide to travel out of the city the number of phone calls reduce as you go further toward remotes landscapes, and when you get far enough so there is no signal and your phone is “dead”, you kind of feel “quite alive”.
I still consider myself as a young man/boy (born in 1981). However I also remember the time when the mobile phone was just a fantasy for the future. Not only the moblie phone, but the hole concept of wireless technlogy was hard for people to understand.
I remember the first mobile phones, they were made for use in the car! No talk about how dangerous it could be to talk on the phone in traffic then.. The phones weight about 20 kg and was impossible to carry around, it was a huge reciever-box with an antenna attached to it and the phone it self was attached to the box with a wire.
I think it is fantastic to see how it has evolved. However as many other things, it’s not only positive. It’s funny that you say that people was excited by the idea that they could be available everywhere at anytime.
Humans have sometimes innvented things that is against our own interests, like guns and nuclearpower. Not that the mobile phones is on the same scale, but do you think it has become too good of an innvention and that people shouldn’t be available 24/7?
Comment by theOven — March 16, 2005 @ 4:35 am
I remeber just a few years ago (litterally, about 2001), the idea that mobile phones would have colour screen almost floored me.
To think that now that a mobile phone is as essential as a car or something similar is incredible. IT just used to be a phone, now its a mobile media centre. I actually think that mobile phones are at an in between stage right now as well.
I imagine that cell phones will become an actual media centre, with TV and Internet capabilities which will be able to view Feature films at streaming pace. It will have a Digital Radio, an mp3 player etc etc and will just be this “Thing” we will carry around with us.
It will be cool
Comment by Butch — March 17, 2005 @ 1:01 am
Hi Klara. It is interesting that I often don’t use my phone for days and days and in fact try not to as much for the cost as anything - but the longer I have it the harder it is for me to turn it off. When I first got the phone in the 1990’s it was easy to turn it off - now I feel like I would be missing out on something important. I’m sure there is a study somewhere which would link this feeling to growing levels of anxiety and stress in our community
Comment by Rachel — April 26, 2005 @ 7:59 am