Going by a previous poll I posted, most posters here will remember a time when the only phones that most people had were landlines. Information was delivered by letter and by word of mouth.
We now live in a digital age where people can communicate in mere seconds to all sectors of the globe. This has lead to an explosion of glorious intellect being able to share knowledge in amongst the spam and scam.
Businesses thrive on Email, businesses are reduced without it. But why am I posting this? I was thinking, how would I now survive without my connection to the internet? What if the internet was cut off, it dissapeared. What if no one had it? I would be unemployed. My mobile phone would stop being my portable laptop. My laptop would become a very advanced word processor and I would be forced to call people on my landline (which would truly shock BT who have seen me make on average one call a year).
But without the internet, would I be happier? Would the lack of Email mean I would need to talk more. Would I need to engage more with those around me and be just that little less lazy. Would the slowing down of the world at large result in a more relaxed outlook on life from the manic leaping from one challenge to the next. I do wonder.
I have seen blackouts 2 times in 5 years. Times when all but the phones stopped working. 2 days when I was forced to live like my parents did, in the dark ages It was actually very nice, very calming. I seem to remember both days involved the pub, wine, talking and a hangover.
As I become ever more entwined into the connected world of the wireless revolution. As my phone becomes a secondary net connection. As I am literally on-line 24 hours a day and unable to escape the constant Email stream and connections from social and business sites, I wonder am I losing something in the rush? Bluetooth headsets looking ever more like attachments from Dr Whos Cybermen.
I'm sure some of you here will look down and start saying things like "in my day" and "you should feel lucky" but part of me wonders if we are racing too fast into a Borg like world. The worst part being, I am part of creating that world. Scary huh?
Gwyneth2701 of sector 90