The dictator you least expect

I love technology. It literally changed the world in the last three to four centuries. But, can we keep up with those developments? The timescale of technology is shorter than the timescale to understand its real consequences. But not all of them. There's one we often experience.

I'm thinking about smartphones.

When I was young, to communicate at a distance you wrote a letter, fold it, putted inside an envelope, lick the envelope to close it, write the receiver's address on the outside, your address, lick a stamp to glue it, go out to a mailing post and only then the process was over. Did you realized the time I took to write all the details in this process? Watch this.

Today, to communicate at a distance you write what you want to say on your smartphone, write the receiver's email address, the subject and send it. That's it! That easy. But then something happens.

In my younger days, with no email or smartphones, you had to wait for a reply which could take weeks, or even months. But that didn't bother you. That's ok. I can wait. And now? If you don't receive an answer in the next few minutes, you wonder: was there something I said I shouldn't? Has he seen my email?

Did you ever experienced this? If you did, like myself, this is what I mean by "consequences". Today, communications are so fast that your "waiting ability" diminishes. But, isn't waiting part of communicating? Why do you become so stressful when a reply doesn't come in the next minute? I think this says something about us. About who we are.

Technology is a way to amplify the abilities we already have. And we are communicative beings. We cannot live without communicating. It's in our nature. Therefore, smartphones dramatically increased that ability, making them one of the essential tech-objects we carry all the time. It's like trousers. If you don't have them when you go out, you notice, right?

But are we prepared to deal with the consequences?

Let me give you an example.

Imagine a person during the mass. The mobile rings. Picks it up and answers, whispering, "Sorry... can't take you call right now. I'm in the mass" Really!?!! Are you? If you weren’t able attend the call why did you? iPhones at least have that wonderful little button on the side you switch, and that's it. Silent mode is activated.

One time, we invited a Professor to give a lecture, and we asked a colleague from another department to perform moderation. During the entire presentation, he couldn't stop looking at his smartphone. And one time, a call came and he left the room to attend it. What!?!! The moderator you invited leaves the room during the lecture his suppose to moderate? Embarrassing.

So I wondered. Are we in control of our lives?

Or have we started a new age of worldwide dictatorship?

Your phone.

Here's what I do. And this is an exercise I often make which I invite you to make.

For one week.

Put your phone on vibration mode.

And if you're doing something important (like the mass if you're Christian), or speaking with someone, do not answer. Purposefully. Do not even react. Act like it's not vibrating at all.

Feel the power or being in control and not be controlled by your phone.

I've been doing this for many years and every time I experience something I'm sure you'll experience too.

Freedom

I'd love to hear about your experience.

Use the comments below to share it.