A Simpler Life Series: The Interrupting Cell Phone

Cell phones are another one of those things that are supposed to be making our lives easier.  I won’t argue that they’re a great convenience when we’re trying to meet up with someone or an accident happens.  But are cell phones really making our lives easier?  

It seems like people are always on their cell phones.  Few people can wait in a line or walk a couple of blocks without being on the phone.  In the United States, half the drivers I ever see are on the phone (it’s illegal in Germany).  The first thing many college students do outside of class is pull out their phones.  What do you think?  

cell-phone-call

I feel like cell phones eliminate our opportunity for solitude.  It becomes addicting to see if we have messages or to start calling people; it’s instant gratification.  And I don’t know about you, but that whole cliche about stopping to smell the flowers totally vanishes from my mind when I’m on a cell phone walking across the park.  Even when we choose not to be on our phones, by having them with us everywhere, people have 24 hour access to our lives.  It can be impossible to complete a task sometimes (can you tell your grandma no?!).

Cell phones were another one of those things I didn’t think a move to Germany would cause me to think about.  But it did.  I’d always thought my cell phone use was a harmless habit until I didn’t have it around.  Living in Germany, the talk time I had access to with everyone back in the US was drastically cut.  With a six hour time difference from the East Coast, all the people I knew were asleep when I was awake, working when my evening began…  I had to learn to appreciate the little moments by myself when I was waiting for the subway; I couldn’t call anyone to pass the time.  Not only that, cell phone plans in Germany are so pricey that they make American ones seem practically free.

Of course I don’t even have to go into how much other people’s cell phone use disturbs everyone else in public, do I?

A couple solutions to making our cell phone life easier could be:

  • state specific times that you’re available to chat (or not available)
  • limit who you give your number to (when bosses and co-workers have your number, they’re going to call with more work, right?)
  • stop and think about each time you’re on the phone – did it at value to that part of your life or distract you from flowers?
  • move to the other side of the earth like we did (because that would be practical)

    • With this week’s segment of A Simpler Life Series, I’d be interested in your thoughts on cell phones and simplicity in our lives.  Do you have one/share one?  Do you ever turn it off to let calls go to voice mail or leave the phone behind?  It’s not black and white by any means, so please share – the good, the bad, the ugly ‘N Sync ringtone.

    (Image from Flickr)