True story (as comics always say) I was in the emergency room at our local hospital. I was waiting to talk to the billing person when two distraught parents came in helping their son to the receptionist area. It looked like he had a head injury because he was loosely bandaged and there was some blood on the gauze surrounding his forehead. Other than that he seemed to be ok. I noticed he was clutching an iPad and cellphone in one hand as he pressed the bandaging to his head. It was a quiet night so he was escorted right in. The parents were asked to wait in the lobby until the doctor had seen the young man. Five minutes later an assistant approached the worried parents and told them their son would be fine. The doctor was stitching him up right now. She then handed them the Ipad and cellphone both of which were obviously damaged. The ipad screen was cracked and shattered and the cellphone was bent. The parents stared at the two gadgets with a longing look, then the husband put his head in his hands and started to cry.
Now I admit I’m extrapolating here but I think we are getting too attached to these devices almost as if they possess personalities of their own. And in fact some do. There are car electronics that talk to you and ask questions about where you want to go and suggest ways of getting there or even alternative places to go and so forth. I’ve noticed that I don’t know anyone’s phone number anymore. Since my iphone does I figure why clutter my brain with such nonsense. But that is just the tip of the iceberg. Following that train of thought soon I’ll be a blabbering fool who know nothing other than talking to my iphone or some other device to help me with my daily tasks. All I’ll have to do is eat, sleep and eliminate waste. Is this the utopia we all want? I have to end this blog now….my iphone just informed me I have a meeting in ten minutes and I haven’t shaved yet.