I am a little behind.
Before you roll your eyes at these words I did not say I have a little behind. Now that is cleared up, let’s get to it. This past Sunday I was intrigued by the topic on Cross Country Check-up. This is a CBC radio show. The topic centred around the idea of trying a digital detox. I was surprised how many folks phoned in saying they had tried it.
Some people could not last for long before clutching their smart phone or just hoping the thing would go off in their pocket so they could once more be connected to whatever. I just don’t get it. I live a busy outdoor life so the concept of looking at a small screen throughout the day seems downright silly. Who would I talk to while in the outhouse? Should I call a friend to tell them there is a bear in the yard. I could absolutely chit chat my life away.
One of the guests on the show told us that younger teens spend nearly 7-8 hours a day on the device. The phone is checked on average 75 times a day. Excuse me? That’s it ? That’s the average? You mean it could be a bigger number?
It has been said that old folks like me who get a smart phone are just as inclined to check the thing a lot during the day. Not enough time in a day. After all, we do need our afternoon nap.
Some of us remember the phone on the wall with a handle to turn to find the operator. “Number please?” a lady would say. That’s how it was at my aunt’s farm at Cobble Hill. In my home town it would be someone I knew. Only three numbers to say. 818 was my Dad’s barber shop. As time went on a phone might still be on the wall but no operator would come. You could dial the number yourself. Then came the desk model with a dial of numbers and letters .
I never saw my parents chatting away on the phone. If I wanted to talk to my friends I would hop on my bike so I could talk to them face-to-face. Now I connect to those same friends from long ago by using email. I have a phone that is not particularly smart but when it rings I know where it is coming from. Only problem is that I don’t answer it. I do call back eventually.
I don’t need to claim an addiction to a device so at some point I would have to partake in a detox. I don’t salivate like Pavlov’s dog at the sight of a name on a display screen. I am not at all intrigued by lots of “likes” on a Facebook account. I can wait for my land-line phone to ring. If it doesn’t ring for a week or so I check for a dial tone. So I ask you what is all the fuss about? To whom are you speaking while driving or walking along the street? Beats me. Like I said, I am little behind with this fast moving technological world.
You could bring me up to date by calling 250-846-5095 or just email without all the bells and whistles to mallory@bulkley.net.