Dependence on electronics leads to sense of necessity rather than luxury
Alexander Graham Bell invented and patented the telephone in the 1870s. The device was used for the transmission of speech. Time stood still for a while, until the twenty-first century really took off.
Then came cellular phones. Many may remember the game Snake on the Nokia, black and white display.
While some might have considered that phone “the best thing since sliced bread,” yet another technological improvement quickly evolved to become the smartphone.
This evolution led society to believe that what was once, and for a long time, considered a luxury and convenience has turned into a necessity.
Director of the Counseling Center, Brian Quigley, said that there is a “whole body of literature starting to emerge about human’s use of technology.”
Such literature has been looking into the impacts and reasons people move toward technology, Quigley explained.
Photo Illustration by Brian Cantore / Photo Editor
“My thoughts on the reasons why people gravitate so immediately to technology, specifically to smartphones, is the promise that they make of convenience,” Quigley said.
Associate Professor of Health Science Margaret Smith said, “The first thing about our society is the instant gratification and I think that our cell phones are part of that instant gratification fix.”
For example, in an interview with Coordinator of Wellness Education, Tiffany Mathews, her office phone rang and she instantly referenced to her iPhone to check the email in regards to the phone call.
“I know that I rely on my cell phone,” Mathews said. “But I think it’s different for different people. It’s all about convenience. If I have something available on my phone, I’m more likely to use it.”
According to Quigley, “We [society] have gotten to a place culturally where not having immediate access to information seems that it could interfere in our survival.”
Quigley said immense amount of cell phone use is not an addiction. He said a clinical addiction is the “physical and psychological dependence on something.”
A drug addiction physically affects someone in which their body changed and “they have to have that thing [drug] in it to survive,” Quigley said.
“I wouldn’t speak to nor do I think there is a lot of evidence that it’s a clinically addictive problem, but is it something we compulsively use? Definitely,” he said.
Smith said that while she too believes that excessive cell phone use is not a clinical addiction, it stems off of the reason as to why there are addictions in general.
“It’s because of the quick fix issue,” she said.
Quigley also mentioned that there is also the blind use versus the thoughtful use of such elaborate technologies. He said that the blind use would be to use as many resources available on a smartphone, simply because it’s possible.
The thoughtful use of technology is the perspective of thinking, ”what can this particular tool be best used for?”
Whether the use of a smartphone be work or school-related, business or finance-related, “thoughtfully “ referencing to technology still may not be the best decision for everybody.
“Do I really want to do all of that with this tool?” Quigley asked. “I think about it interfering with my personal life, bringing my work home, getting emails about work stuff during personal time when I’m hanging out with my family.”
Smith seemed to make a point of agreement, “That’s also a part of our problem, we are a bunch of workaholics.”
Quigley said that although smartphones have such a vast amount of potential convenience-wise, “We find ourselves with less time and feeling less connected to people.”
Mathews said that she, too, worries about the constant use of cell phones and the way it effects interpersonal communication.
“I do wonder with communication via technology how often students are truly communicating with others and how it differs if they were to be talking with someone one on one,” she said.
Quigley, Smith and Mathews each said that they primarily use their smartphones for Internet, texting and email. Smith said that if she didn’t have her smartphone, “I’d be freaked out, to be honest.”
Smith said she has become so accustomed to responding to students and colleagues with such immediacy, that she would have a difficult time without the instant access she is so used to.
“Having everything at your finger tips,” Quigley said, “brings the promise that if you can get that all [music, photos, Internet, applications] from this one thing, that life would be more convenient.”
While it may be convenient, the accessibility seems to turn into a compulsive feeling to use what is so readily available. Quigley said rather than an addiction, “It’s the compulsive need. We compulsively want things that bring a status and a sort of prestige.”
Whether such excessive use in technology is becoming a new norm rather than a societal issue is up for debate. However, it does not seem too difficult to notice the lack of communication that surrounds human beings.
Walking to class quickly becomes a multi-task to sending an email, texting a friend to see where they want to meet up, putting up an Intstagram photo of the foliage on the side of the Spauing Gym, or fitting in that quick phone call to say hello to Mom.
Rebecca Farr can be contacted at rfarr@keene-equinox.com
