This week I got to thinking about cell phones and the annoying songs people have programmed into them as “ring tones”. I use strictly a traditional ring or a “vibrate” mode. I just find those ring tones to be juvenile and stupid. I know I probably just offended a bunch of people, but it’s honestly what I think. I came very close to writing a piece about cell phones and their ring tones. Upon further reflection, I began thinking about the technological breakthroughs and inventions of the past twenty years or so, and whether I like them or dislike them. Last May as I drove from Springfield, Missouri to Framingham, Massachusetts with my daughter Amy (who turned 20 while on that trip) we heard a pop song on the radio entitled, “Stuck in 1985”. The song is from the point of view of some young teens as they scorn their Mom’s “1985” interests and tastes. Sometimes I think I belong back in 1985. Technology can be overwhelming for me!
For what it’s worth, here is my review of inventions and innovations of the past twenty years:
COMPUTERS AND THE INTERNET: (Neutral) - I’m almost tempted to give this category a big “thumbs down” except that if there were no personal computers and no internet, I’d have no blog to write! I do hate the way stuff goes out-of-date and obsolete SO quickly. I cannot get on my blog AT ALL on my office computer because it’s a seven-year-old iMac using seven-year-old software and a seven-year-old operating system. It’s not SEVENTEEN-years- old- it’s only seven! I kind of resent that- All the FORCING of people to upgrade their equipment! I DO resent THAT! My home computer is five-years-old and is using a three-year-old operating system that can be slow and limited. If I don’t upgrade within say eighteen months, there will be no blog! I just think all this FORCING you to upgrade and buy new stuff is stupid! I hope somebody from AOL and somebody from Apple is reading this!
VOICE MAIL: (Thumbs Down) - I hate getting a recorded voice saying “Your call is very important to us” and telling me to press “1” for this and “2” for that. I hate that. I do have voice mail on my cell phone, and in a sense, I don’t even like that!
CELL PHONES: (Neutral) - They’re more of a negative than a positive- I think they have made society much less civil and much more dangerous, BUT they HAVE been used to save lives, so I just have to vote neutral on them.
CALLER I.D. : (Thumbs Up) - I LOVE Caller I.D.! It’s such a great way to screen calls. I think phone calls can be a TERRIBLE INTRUSION. I want to know who’s calling!
SATELLITE RADIO: (Thumbs Down) - Now, I don’t have satellite radio, but in a few years EVERYBODY will HAVE to have it in their cars and HAVE to subscribe just like Cable T.V. I think traditional AM and FM radio is just fine.
HIGH DEF. T.V.: (Thumbs Down)- I think traditional analog T.V. was just fine. Who cares if you have a giant 3-D picture and it looks like you are really there?!
ANTILOCK BREAKS: (Thumbs Down)- I tend to forget and want to pump anti-lock breaks which can be very dangerous. I’d rather just have traditional power brakes.
C.D.s RATHER THAN TAPES: (Neutral)- I lament that traditional cassette tapes are rapidly disappearing, although there are a lot of positives to C.D.s. I know that C.D.s DID exist in 1986- I think they were introduced in 1982 or 1983, but they were still quiet uncommon back then. I wish we could have BOTH C.D.s and tapes.
D.V.D.: (Neutral but leaning toward thumbs down): Likewise, I wish we could have both V.H.S. and D.V.D., but V.H.S. has almost completely gone, and in three years it will be totally gone as far as buying “new product”.
Am I “Stuck in 1985”? Maybe, but I’d gladly settle for being “Stuck in 1986”!
Where does the time go?
“And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.” (Genesis 29:20)
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2 comments:
I guess as I get older, I will feel the same way that you do about some of these new fangled things that will come about. But, I have grown up with a lot of this stuff, so it just seems normal to me, tho I do like videos better than DVDs (can't always figure out how to work the player!) and I did like tapes, but then again, they would sometimes be eaten by the players, so there are pros and cons to everything.
I think cell phones are great when you really have to talk to someone on an important or urgent matter that simply can't wait. But when I see people, mostly women, driving around with cell phones attached to their ears, I shudder to think what would happen if they had to make a sudden decision and because they are distracted by the conversation they're having (probably nothing terribly important, just some piece of gossip about a mutual friend) a serious accident might ensue, maybe even taking someone's life. As I said cell phones are a Godsend when you really need to be in touch with someone as soon as possible, but for the most part driving around while yakking on a cell phone is totally unnecessary, as well as being very dangerous. Surveys show that people driving around talking on cell phones are four times as likely to cause an accident than people who aren't. Besides when we were learning to drive, wasn't the most important rule to "keep both hands on the wheel?"
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