When Bell invented the telephone in the 19th century, little did he know that the instrument would morph into a 2 dimensional slab that the 21st century creature would nonchalantly slip into its jeans pocket. Although this instrument is mononymously called a "phone", it is actually a full blown computer; a pocket PC that is way more powerful and millions of times faster than the computers that assisted in the first moon landing. The incongruity of this moniker is that actual human conversations make up only a tiny portion of the use cases of this instrument. And for good reason. iPhones today are equipped with 12 MP cameras that can shoot videos in 4K resolution. Your email is on the phone as are a dozen other work related software apps. You can record studio quality audio on it and churn out professional music productions. You don't need newspapers anymore; your phone will tell you the weather and scream headlines at you all day if you so desire. What previously required detailed printed maps, spiral bound books from AAA, or bulky GPS devices, can now all be accomplished on your phone using a simple app. Then you have Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and what not, to satisfy your social media appetite. Furthermore, there are apps for day-to-day stuff like banking, cab services, home appliances, and even your baby daycare's daily reports!
Today's teenager knows not of the thrill of using a rotary telephone to call his high school crush while praying that a parent does not answer. But he sure does know how to aggrandize his nonverbal communication with emojis and stickers!
No comments:
Post a Comment