No Ulterior Motive

I LOVE FACEBOOK AND TWITTER I CAN BUG’M AND THEY CAN’T DO A THING ABOUT IT …EXCEPT CANCEL THEIR FACEBOOK ACCOUNT…. AND THEY’LL NEVER DO THAT

I Phones, I Pads, laptops, smart phones, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, hot zones, Facebook, Twitter, video games, data streaming, texting and video surveillance (hidden or otherwise) are making people obsessive-compulsive information gatherers, whether they really need the information or not. These devises have morphed into our security blankets. When was the last time you left home without your I Phone or laptop or whatever? While your out and about, is it really necessary to “notify” all 300 (or more) of your Facebook “friends” (me included, and thank you very much for the friendship) that you just picked up your dry-cleaning? Everyday I get a couple dozen of these inane, useless, Facebook notifications. I don’t mean to be insensitive, but notify me when you just had a baby, or you just broke your arm playing touch football, and I’ll send you the appropriate greeting card, or I’ll call and ask if you need me to come over to help out (if I’m not busy). Where is the instant gratification a person gets telling a bunch of people “I hate paperwork” or some guy announcing “I’ve decided to grow a beard”. Who really cares?

With all these instant communication devices are we really better off than the caveman? At least the caveman didn’t worry about voyeurism when he or she went behind a tree or rock to accommodate Mother Nature. How do you maintain any independence, privacy, individuality or a valid thought process with all these electronic tentacles and gadgets embedded in you, sounding off every few minutes?

I don’t text, Twitter or use any of that other “stuff”. I only use a dumb/flip cell phone (not an I Phone, smart phone or a droid). I only use my dumb phone for calls and I never use it around a crowd or in a restaurant and, if I must use it, I go outside or find a corner away from everyone. What’s also aggravating is most of the time when I call someone they don’t answer. That’s rude! Why have a cell phone if you’re not going to answer it most of the time? Most of the time when I leave a voice mail, they never call back. Maybe they’re trying to tell me something. Who knows anymore. I do use email, but only on my computer. I also use Facebook to flaunt this website and to see pictures of my fantastic grandkids that my son puts there. Those notifications are the wonderful and worthwhile notifications. That is really nice! And,  I rarely, I mean rarely, update my Facebook Status. I’m as up to date on that as I want to be.

I’ve had it up to my hard drive with all this electronically sponsored social communication. I will ruthlessly continue to censor and limit the number of electronic tentacles forced on my wretched soul.

Remember, the slaves did in the Romans, and it wouldn’t surprise me if the Internet, computer programmers and politicians do us in, by causing our society to implode from the deluge of instant information confusion.

Remember, the best things in life are always simple and free. However, I’m afraid the freedom and untethered simplicity I enjoyed as a kid will never be experienced by my grandkids. 

WELL, LOOKS LIKE I’M THE LAST PHONE BOOTH STANDING