iText: Times have changed
By Emily Perry
- Photo by Chris Wong / Staff
In a world where technology dominates almost everyone’s lives, there are still those who use little to none of it. On the opposite end of the spectrum, millions of people around the world, like freshman Layla Peterson, use some sort of technology 24/7. So which is better: being tied down to a cell phone [most people’s only “life source”] all day long or living your life without having to worry about missing a phone call or a text message?
“I got a cellphone when I was 14, which is old now. My neighbor who is six has a nicer phone than my mom,” now 19 –year-old Layla Peterson says. In just five months, she has already had three different Blackberries. Though she has had her fair share of problems with technology, it doesn’t stop her from continuing to get the same phone each time another one breaks. Though she cannot seem to put down her cell phone, she says she prefers texting more than talking on the phone. “I feel like when I call people I’m more obligated to talk to them about my life, which takes away from my texting time.” Of course, having a Blackberry means being able to use the internet, i.e., interact on Facebook, which has become a staple of every high school and college student’s life. “I get on Facebook every, single day,” she says. According to Layla, being addicted to all different types of technology is passed down through her family. “My dad currently has six computer monitors at his desk. Who knew being a technology freak was biological?”
The only stipulation Layla has about her cell phone is that it MUST have a cute phone cover. “I just got a sparkly cover for mine yesterday, Em. I know you don’t care about that for your article, but it’s SO cute!” Oh, Layla. We care. It just shows how much of a girly girl you are about the cases that house your technology. For someone who cannot go a day without communication with the “outside world,” Layla hopes that technology stays where it is. “I don’t know why technology is getting smaller and smaller. I get my iPOD confused with my credit card and cell phones now a days look like they belong with a Barbie set.”
On the other hand, there are those who prefer to not have a cell phone at all, like Josh Brook. “I only use computers and land Line telephones when I need to. I use these because I don’t need a cellphone cluttering up my daily habits. They are more of a nuisance for people than a communication device.” Instead of having to worry about calling this person about what is happening Friday night, and then texing that person to tell him or her the changed plan, and then having to call everyone all over again when the plans change again, Josh, “JB,” would rather just go with the flow. “I mean, it can be difficult to communicate with friends when they need me for something but they should know that I cant be communicated with when I’m out doing something. They know my lifestyle choices and can get in touch with someone else.”
JB also thinks that cell phones have become more of a display of someone’s social status rather than it’s main purpose… communication. As society progresses, so do cell phones. Instead of being used for the sole reason of calling someone, most cell phones have transformed into miniature computers, a way of emailing, opening documents, chatting on Facebook, and downloading free or purchased applications. “Our society has gotten to a point where technology has taken away from the meaning of life. Cell phones have lost their purpose of communication and have just become a way to flaunt how much money you have,” JB says.
In reality, it’s all about what the individual cell phone user wants. Do they want to live a life in which their peers are constantly pulling them to go here and there or does the person want to spend their time not being tied down to set plans that could constantly change at any moment? You decide for yourself.
