Technophile, or tech obsessive?
Obviously, we at Beam love our gadgets as much as the next technophile. But we were pretty disappointed to read this morning that some people are so attached to their mobile phones that they won’t put them down even when they’re behind the wheel. According to the Transport Research Laboratory, ‘more drivers are using hand-held mobile phones than before tougher penalties were introduced two years ago’.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8407142.stm
It seems that drivers are undeterred by the threat of fines or points on their licenses, with women aged 17-29 the most likely to use a mobile phone while driving. The same people who tut at drink-drivers are risking lives to have conversations that are about as essential as a bikini in the South Pole. Why is it so important for us to keep hanging on the phone?
Could it be that in this hyper-connected world we are perhaps - dare we say it - more selfish than ever? We have contacts and content at the touch of a button, but it seems a slice of reality has been the cost. Take a look at Jasper Rees’s summary of the last decade, which comments that developments such as podcasts and iPlayer allow consumers to access content ‘on their own terms, not to a timetable imposed from on high’. At the same time, ‘the viral phenomenon of the internet validated everyone’s opinion via social networking and chatrooms,’ and ‘YouTube ensured that anyone could be the leading character in their own room’.
Gadget and tech developments aren’t supposed to make us ego-centric human beings even more insular than we already are. They’re supposed to open our minds, not close them to the world around us; they’re meant to enrich our relationships, not obscure them completely.
So, to all mobile-using motorists: think about it. Isn’t it better to chat in person when you get home, rather than talk on the phone and lower your chances of getting there safely?