Nowadays, the only thing we are content with is a phone with Bluetooth, a camera, a personal organiser and wiFI. The mobile phone has truly been pimped, but how far will the pimping of new media go? Are things getting out of control? Becky Bridges explains why we'd better slow down before it’s too late…
In this fast paced all consuming world we have become accustomed to accessing email, TV, and downloading every possible music and film file whenever we want. So we expect it all to be instantaneous but get frustrated if we have to push an extra button. Now even speed dialling takes forever. Are we all becoming lazy? How lazy are you?
We can now shop on the internet, download films and watch live football on our phones, but is this creating a society where we no longer value social settings and we don’t want to leave our house? Wouldn’t it be nice to go out and view the world with our own eyes instead of the screen on your TV?
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the new technologies and use them all the time. But my concern is that people are becoming too dependent upon them and not able to cope when they aren’t around.
Technology has come a long way over the past few years. When Nokia announced their latest phone in 1999, the Nokia 7110, everyone was amazed by the fact that you were able to access the internet on it. Yet now this is a bit old school. Today if it doesn’t have access to the internet, hold mp3s, video calls, have a recordable camera with zoom and a radio we don’t want to know.
We are never satisfied. Do we all really need a phone to be smaller, with a larger screen, easier to use, thinner, more stylish and be opened in a more unique way? How small do they have to go before we realise how stupid this all is?
Back at the end of the 1990’s people were in astonishment over the fact you could buy a digital terrestrial set-top receiver, or the already integrated television sets which allowed you to receive digital signals. It meant you could access 30 channels on top of the original 5. Yet we are now unsatisfied with the 700-800 channels Sky offers us.
Is this because we now want broadcasters to personalise our needs? Or do we have so much choice that we can’t make a decision? Shouldn’t we slow down and take advantage of what is on offer, before the next new wave of technology comes along and provides us with more gadgets we can’t appreciate? What do you think?
About the team
This story was produced by Becky Bridges, 16, and edited by Annabel McLeod. It was published by Reach for the Sky website.
