The Epidemic

I remember a friend of mine who owned the first cell phone that I ever saw back in 1983. It was a DynaTAC 8000x made by Motorola. Even the name sounded like it weighed a ton.  It actually weighed two pounds and measured 13 inches x 1.75 inches x 3.5 inches versus for example the RAZR that weighs a mere 3.5 ounces measures 3.9 inches x 2.1 inches x 0.5 inches. But it cost $3,995 (almost $9,000 in today’s dollars) and its nickname was “the brick”. And it had a measly 30 minutes of talk time before it needed a 10-hour recharge. Just imagine that subscriptions were 12.4 million in 1990 and last year they were 4.6 billion. 

Who’d a thunk that a clunky invention like that would become the pervasive life force that it has become today.  I until recently could not understand why we needed Internet access on our phone when our laptops or desktops were available at home or in our office. Someone knew something and the profit for the cell carriers that have remained is obscene and is  only surpassed by the Oil companies and of course their gouging of consumers is a another story. 

What is my point here after the history lesson? What is now a seeming necessity has also become lethal like DWI and probably has the addictive powers second to maybe nicotine. You think not? Certainly we have seen while driving a car in front of us veer off slightly as the motorists head seems lowered not focused on the road. That’s because he or she is texting an extremely important message to a loved one or family member. Of course I am being facetious here because in the world of instant gratification even e-mails are not quick enough for our insatiable desire to communicate electronically. It has even put our face-to-face relationships in jeopardy because as you sit in restaurants and other eateries you see people sitting across from each other not talking but busily tapping out communiqués that preempt live conversation. 

Everywhere I go virtually everyone has a cell phone in hand at the ready. What is alarming too is that people are not only putting others at risk while driving but even crossing the street, entering buildings or simply walking down corridors the head is down focused on what is transpiring on their cell phone. I find it amazing that people walk as if they had their eyes closed and if I don’t have my head up I will walk right into these people. 

Talking on the cell phone while driving without a hands free apparatus is well documented but with the added feature of texting the danger is elevated to egregious levels and its an epidemic that not only threatens lives but places innocent drivers at risk as well. 

Of course there is less danger on foot or to a lesser extent when we are sitting on our posteriors but just like the Walkman, which began this pandemic of isolation, the cell phone threatens relationships to the breaking point.