I wrote a piece a while ago about cell phones and the way people are now totally addicted to them and want to pursue this topic a bit further. Being older and having memories of life before cell phones, I feel that I am somewhat qualified to discuss this topic at least from a personal point of view.

My concerns are many in this particular area. For starters, this has the makings of a good novel and maybe even a series about how the World population was taken over by cell-phones and humans lost the ability to think for themselves or even communicate one on one without consulting their phone first. Conversations, even with the person right next to you were conducted through your phone not verbally as we would normally expect. People would receive calls from “Interested Parties” telling them what to wear, what to eat, what to do today after work, what groceries to buy and what shop to buy them at and on and on until in the end, humans lost the ability to think or reason without being told by their phones. In fact, they became brainwashed into being totally dependant on their phones for everything.

Does this sound familiar? Something from the world of George Orwell or H.G. Wells of years gone by. Take a look around you the next time you are in a crowd of people or a Supermarket. You can almost guarantee that any kids even the very youngest have their face glued to a phone or a tablet even as they are walking around with their parents as they circle the aisles. In many cases, the Parents are either also talking on the phone, checking for messages or even consulting their grocery list which is where, you got it, on their phone. I read somewhere that the art of penmanship is rapidly dying out as more and more people use either a phone or a computer to write with and many younger kids, have not mastered the basics of writing. Even in my day, penmanship quickly deteriorated when ball point pens were invented but at least virtually everyone could read and write. Now it is questionable in both cases. Personally, I prefer to use a computer to write with because at least, everyone can read the words which is not necessarily true of my handwriting which sometimes verges on the point of ineligible due to my hasty scribbling. I was watching an English Premier League football match the other day and saw several people in the crowds checking their phones so it is not just this country that has the problem.

Getting back to the point of the blog. I can only imagine what the home life of an average family is in this day and age. Personal conversations with friends take precedence over everything else which includes both verbal and texting. I wonder how many families have rules at home of how much and when their kids can use their phones? At the meal table? During family conversations? When the family is doing something together and on and on. I would imagine that the worst punishment that any kid can get is to have their cell phone taken away.

Where is this all leading to? How long before we become a Nation so reliant on our phones that we find it impossible to operate without them. I am lucky that being very old and those that are in my generation are in the same boat, that we do not have the same need for a cell phone other for maybe as a safety net in case something happens to us such as, “Help, I have fallen over and can’t get back up” or worse yet, “Help, I think I am having a heart attack”.

We are being controlled and manipulated by “Big Business” in a very subtle way as we are bombarded from all sides with truths, untruths, false advertising and claims to do this or buy that and every conceivable pressure that is possible. All because of our reliance on our phones.

How do I end this blog? I predict that things will only get worse and that this is exactly what the Powers That Be are very happy with especially the way things are falling out. Whether they actually foresaw this is anybody’s guess but I bet someone was smart enough to figure this out to be another way to control the masses. Did I mention that the only calls I answer is if I recognize the name. If not, they are not going to get to me like they are to the rest of you guys…
Switch off the phone and see what the rest of the world looks like.

Written 12//7/2017