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Are We Morally Obligated To Carry Cell Phones?
By Richard Nantel | September 23, 2008
A chill recently descended on my home. The cause was cell phones, or more specifically, the fact that I don’t own one. Here’s what happened.
My favorite therapy to address potential social isolation from a week of telework is to drive downtown on Friday evenings, hang out in music stores trying out all the guitars until they turn off the lights and kick me out, and top it off with a beer at a pub with friends (whether I’ve ever met them before or not.)
Three weeks ago, I returned home from such an evening feeling happy and relaxed. I quietly opened the front door so as not to wake anyone. My family was standing in the entrance hallway. My nine-year old had her arms crossed in a Marge Simpson sort of way and said “you SOOOO need to get a cell phone.”
It turns out my 80 year-old mother-in-law had heart palpitations and thought she might need to get to the hospital. My wife was unable to take her because I was downtown with our only car chatting to strangers about guitars, physics, psychology, bicycles, technology, marketing, and hops.
Over the next few days, the argument for and against carrying a cell phone went something like this:
ME: “What makes my Friday nights wonderfully relaxing is that they are totally off the grid.
- No voicemails
- No emails
- No IMs”
FAMILY: “We’re just asking that you be reachable in case of emergencies.”
ME: “People always get cell phones for emergencies only. Next thing you know, you’re getting calls to pick up milk on the way home or from someone who wants to know if you’re having a nice evening. The definition of emergency changes.”
FAMILY: “Our parents are getting older. Something could happen”
ME: “If they’re feeling sick, it might be best to call an ambulance instead of waiting for me to drive back from downtown to pick them up.”
FAMILY: “Everyone has a cell phone but you.”
ME: “Humanity has existed for 10,000 years without cell phones. Before cell phones, people relied on friends and neighbors in time of emergencies.”
In the end, I gave in. The chill at home was more than I could stand (and I started doubting my own arguments). I purchased a cell phone but opted for the pay-as-you-go option instead of a monthly plan; assuming that the thought that every phone call would cost something might restrict the number of calls I’d make or receive. So far so good. I have yet to receive a call.
My colleague, Gary Woodill, says mobile learning is gaining wide adoption because everyone has a cell phone. Statistics back up his claim. By the end of next year, it’s estimated that 2.6 billion phones will be in use. That works out to 40 percent of the global population carrying mobile phones by the end of 2009.
What does it feel like to have a cell phone after all these years? After three weeks of carrying it around, I haven’t placed or received a call yet. So far, I like the technology.
Topics: Learning, Mobile, Mobile learning |
