Cell phones ... calamity or boon?

Despite the fact that I'm a huge computer nerd, science geek, and overall technology nut, I only recently got a cell phone. An old one that I wouldn't trust to faithfully load web pages. My wife wanted me to have one, so now I do. Being on the outside of the cell phone culture has granted me a fairly uncommon point of view. In my view, it's clear that people put extreme priority on their cell phones--to the point where they are willing to interrupt anything at all (and I mean anything) to check what the just arrived text message says. I've watched people in the midst of a sentence to someone standing directly in front of them, pause and look at the phone before carrying on the sentence. It's astounding. And, let's not get started with cell phones and driving, because it's a pile of torment.

But--and there's always a but, isn't there--cell phones have undeniably improved our world. Information is accessible anywhere, anytime, and thus our world has become interconnected to an extent even science fiction writers never imagined. We can literally chat with someone on the other side of the planet, from our tent in the Sahara, and see them at the same time! Wow. I still shudder with disbelief when I consider how everyone is a simple tap and call away. Incredible.

Wait, there's more! Cell phones are now smart phones. Essentially they are hand held computers, capable of anything a full-sized computer could do only five years ago. I'm still waiting for hologram displays I can use without having special glasses, or usable anywhere keyboards made with laser lights. Our phones are an essential part of our lives, and likely store more of our lives than our own memories. Losing a phone is such a hardship that people hyperventilate at the mere thought. Don't worry, the cloud backs up all your pictures and pretty soon there'll be some sort of neural network with all information ever created online. Information at our fingertips has never been truer.

- M