Stream of Consciousness

Thursday, August 19, 2004

The curse of the telephone


Yesterday I saw a commercial for a cell phone that included unlimited instant messaging via all the IM big boys, Yahoo, MSN, etc. It seemed to me like a good idea, because I've always had issues with talking on the phone. I've never exactly been a chat artist, and calling someone without a purpose never resulted the way I intended. That point in the conversation arrives, that silence burning in your ear when you're lost as to what the next subject should be. What is it about the phone that destroys my concentration?

So I avoid recreational use of the telephone, but it cannot be totally avoided. Whenever I talk to anyone on the phone (other than a select few people with which exists a "phone relationship" with established guidelines that eliminates uncomfortable situations), I can sense a weirdness. The problem is, both individuals are directly connected with no interval of disconnection, so any amount of silence is suffered and ending the conversation and the connection can be awkward. Nextel has advanced significantly in this direction by making phones with Direct Connect. This feature cures the need to fill empty airtime and conduct a proper closure; when there's nothing more to say, you can just walk away without feeling guilty or embarrassed. Maybe with the implementation of new technology, this stressful machine called the telephone can be labelled as obsolete, and moved aside to allow for the next generation of communication devices that prevent social discomfort.

1 Comments:

  • How about taking Captain Kirk's lead and just say something like, "Kirk out."

    Or if you are into Hip-Hop, you could say, "Yo, yo...this James to the 'B' to the 'Y' to the 'E'! Don't be my BEEE-AYTCH!!!"

    Well...maybe not...

    By Blogger tlcreb17, at 8:45 AM  

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