When did smartphones become so addictive? I can tell you when, about 30 years ago, or so it feels. But in reality, we all know when it started to happen. Just over a decade ago.
And we also know what has happened to most of us in that time. We can’t go without it for a day, or let’s be honest, no more than a few hours.
When you really think about it, do you really want to? I have a semi-good reason at least (al be it bazaar), for not wanting just that.
We have almost become the exact humans in those man-vs-machine films where the machines are really calling the shots and the humans go on with ordinary things, completely unaware.
Truth is, I don’t often leave my phone at home by accident, but when I do, OMG (that’s right, I also wouldn’t have used that acronym 10 years ago). Actually, forget I used it now.
When you do go out in public without your phone, you can forget about feeling connected at all – Not because you don’t want to be in the moment, smell the roses or interact with a real human, but I really think it’s the option of having all-information-ever at your fingertips and the potential need to use it at any point, that gets you.
You would have no idea whether the train is actually going to be on time, what has happened overnight or what is going on in the world right now (through actual news or otherwise), and how anyone is going to contact you.
If this was the 90s, fine. When you had no other option, waiting for a friend to show up and hoping that you gave them the right info, was all you could do.
And when you eventually get back home to find your phone, which, let’s face it, was probably happy for the break and its battery almost fully charged, how many texts and instant messages are really waiting?
How else do you solve arguments these days?