I had my gripes with the modern era, specifically the modern era as accessed via smartphones: the lack of challenge fostered by instant gratification wherever the data plan is active, the useless or ill-conceived apps (“we both just took pictures at the same place. We should be linked.” Doesn’t this all start to sound a bit like stalking?), youTube videos interrupting the brunches I prepared with love and care, distracted friends texting away while we “hang out,” the general decline of an attention span, etc. As a result, I was stubbornly sticking to a flip phone and becoming more and more “vintage” as the days passed.
This was no hipster intention to be ironic. I was resisting the negative aspects of a tool, but in doing so, I felt the world leaving me in its dust. What if I went to an interview, and the potential employer whipped out some iDevice to begin picking a time for us to meet next. Would I impress him or her with my “throwback” phone? Doubtful. In considering grad programs and a future career in the design world, I knew had to keep abreast of technology. In a recent training for work, I was embarrassed that the room full of business types, at least ten years my senior, were all manipulating smartphones, but yet, they thought I was crazy for wanting a mapping application from a psychological assessment of potential hires. I couldn’t let these people pass me!
Travel was another incentive I had for upgrading my mentality: directions without awkwardly pulling out a giant “I’m a tourist” map, the ability to seek more information while ambling around a new place and the chance to figure out who of my friends is potentially in visiting range.
The last large incentive (not the 3-d features believe it or not) I saw dangling on a low branch may offer a glimpse into my inner control freak (I’ve tamed her in many ways, but she is useful) and my inner productivity princess. I wanted calendars and tasks and emails and stars to align in the palm of my hand! I wanted to manage my life! Yes, I said that.
Thus, when Sprint called me at a fairly inconvenient time, I sucked it up and took the long call. Admittedly, I wanted an iPhone for pretty shallow reasons, but going the Droid route meant not having to switch phone companies, and I’ll be real: I was being lazy! I’ll be real again: I really didn’t care to investigate the breadth of modern technologies available.
So it came to pass, on July 1st, a package arrived at my door ushering me into the modern world, which incidentally puts an Arcade Fire song into my head.
As I was dipping my first foot in the water, the timing seemed right to splash myself even more with modernity and maybe just a splash of shameless promotion. That’s right world, I did what I never thought I’d do: I joined twitter! I did it for you, dear tweeters and blog readers! I did it for you!
Mind you, all this modernity has made me feel ancient, ie:
Will: “you know you’re calling me right now?”
Me: “Ugghhhh, nooooo. I meant to be saving you in my contacts.”
Still, look at me finding the “retro” apps and capturing my neighborhood strolls…
(I realize this is a really minor accomplishment, and perhaps having all my contacts updated to my new phone would be a more useful accomplishment, but this was way more fun.)
PS:
Dear Canon,
You are still my number one! I will still try to take you almost everywhere I go unless where I go would risk your livelihood.
Sincerely,
The Eye Behind You
