But they thought exactly the same before. Every day the phones are only getting smaller and getting new functions. More recently, the phone was about the size of a brick, and everyone marveled at the great progress. Now, if you meet such, then at least it will cause a smile. Smile, smile, but our phones may seem exactly the same building blocks in a couple of years. True, this is already a different topic, now we will break the established traditions and take a look back, so to speak, laugh at the bricks while there is such an opportunity, or we will be sad.

Where are you, elephant

Old telephones have long been pushed to radio markets, museums, and are sold out by lovers of antique products. Instead of bulky "pipes", we have ultra-modern, ultra-compact phones, with a lot of additional functions that most of us simply do not use. We follow fashion and say it's cool! Old telephones, by the way, would be very useful to us now, they can be used not only as a means of communication, but also as a means of self-defense, or, if you are a master, you can put something heavy on it without fear. You can drop it and not look after him with the thought, "My money was crying." They will definitely not steal it from you, you can ride the subway without fear of putting it in the most prominent place and sleep peacefully. What do we have with the new phones? We shake off the dust every day, so God forbid not to scratch the precious display with 16 million colors.

The history of breaking glass

Even when there were soda machines on the streets, pioneer detachments walked around, for communication it was only necessary to meet and everyone wrote paper letters to each other - no one thought that in a few decades a mobile phone would change our whole idea of ​​life in general. To call a friend or girlfriend for a walk, no matter how ridiculous it may sound, the laziest threw pebbles into the glass to each other, thereby training dexterity and dexterity. Others rang the doorbell and trained their legs, running up the stairs, then becoming athletes. These cases did not recur often, but they did happen. Nowadays, in order to call someone for a walk, you just need to dial a number, while being near the house is not needed at all. Perhaps that is why the Russian national team loses at the Olympic competitions and "leaks" football matches? Gone is the era of athletes who trained in throwing stones and running stairs. And all because of the phone.

Gaining more, we lose feelings

Since we have lost pride in our athletes, what have we gained? The first thing that comes to mind is the question of where the glass disappeared after it stopped breaking. They are most likely to be useful, they are sent to orphanages or wherever there is a need for them. But no one knows whether the workers of glass factories are true to traditions, whether they have created a department "B", or a department of breaking glass. It is hard to say. Close your eyes for a second and imagine what would happen if all mobile phones simply disappeared, taking with them all the raison d'être of existence. How would you feel? Fear? Joy? Now we will try to figure it out in more detail.

Lovers forever lost the moments when each of them looked at the phone, waiting for a call. People more often looked into each other's eyes, enjoying the minutes spent together. Communication by SMS ceased to exist, behind which sometimes deception and lies are hidden. For clarity, let's look at a small example: you are working, and you want to talk to a person who also works. Of course, you are far from each other, and you have no opportunity to meet now. The phone helps you arrange a verbal meeting. When you meet in the evening, it will be just a meeting, an ordinary one. Without a phone, everything was completely different, this meeting turned into something more, tk. you were looking forward to it. The heart would beat faster, everyone would appreciate these minutes, wait for them. Life with a phone has become like glass through which we look. The world behind the glass is full of colors, we only see it, but we do not feel it. If there is night behind the glass, we see an emptiness filled with blackness, we do not feel anything. With the phone, the senses are dulled, and life becomes insipid. Our life consists of feelings and emotions, the phone takes all this and gives in return only communication at a distance.

Children in an endless race

Phones, in addition to all their capabilities, brought many more unpleasant moments. A new compact and expensive object for theft has appeared. Everyone worries about their phone, especially if it costs a lot of money. Thieves, on the other hand, have found additional income, the phone does not take up much space, and it is much easier to steal it than to take some TV out of the apartment. Cases when crimes occur through the fault of the telephone are increasing every year, one might even say in proportion to the release of new models of phones. Our life was embodied in a plastic brick hanging on the chest. This situation has not been spared by the younger generation - earlier, if children dreamed of toys, now they need phones, and there is an endless race among classmates. The one with the cooler phone becomes the center of the class, and the children, not fully understanding the meaning, envy each other and demand more from their parents. All this, of course, applies not only to mobile phones, but since the phone is available to any segment of the population, this problem is most urgent.

Understanding the meaning

On the other hand, the mobile phone gave us a helping hand. It became easier to contact various services, in emergency situations he always helps us. For some, it has become easier to make money. It has become easier to get to know each other, getting information has become even more efficient. At any time, you can go through the browser to the Internet and find the information we are interested in. Many everyday tasks would become so inconvenient without a phone that the time spent on them would simply not be justified. It became easier for parents to control their children. The word "easier" was repeated so often that it littered the entire article. How to be? We got a choice between simplicity and universal human values, which, of course, did not disappear completely, but faded into the background. Gradually losing its meaning. To many, life will seem so boring that they would rather die than live on, but how was it before? After all, no one needed a phone, everyone did without it, and everyone was happy?

Achieving excellence

It's easier to live with a mobile phone. It is easy to imagine how a hundred years will pass and this simplification of life will reach the point that a person will simply sit still, he will not have to go to work, he will not have to eat. Life will be so automated that nothing is needed. And the meaning of life will be lost for each of us. We will be just glass that can break at any moment.

© Romashkin Valery,
Date of article publication - June 16, 2009

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Living without mobile phones is possible!

22.06.2010 15:50:00

“When I had a cell phone, I felt a split personality,” says Henry Souchon jokingly. “I was no longer able to work productively in such a stressful mode. Various people called me every 10 minutes with their questions and concerns. They are so accustomed to this rhythm of life that this process has become a way of life for them. They call to say that they are going to leave, standing at a bus stop while in transport. For many of the users, it creates a kind of virtual world that separates them from reality. They just lose their sense of reality. And how important is the connection between people. We forget how important and how many advantages “live” communication is. It's like an example with whiskey: a glass of whiskey is much nicer than the same double whiskey. Search question. Mobile phones have consumed us, making us hostage to the modern world, ”Henry comments on his convictions.“Young people have become slaves to their mobile devices. We cannot hold a single meeting at which we would not notice that one of the teenagers does not answer a call or SMS on his mobile phone, ”he stressed. Philosophically, Henry's father said, “I don’t think mobile phones ennoble and improve people's lives. In contrast, the widespread use of mobile phones underlines the acute fear of loneliness. People subconsciously hide their fear of being left alone with life. " “As for me, people know that they can contact me at a certain time. And my secretary is always there when I work, ”he adds.Here is the story of one of those who gave up their phones. His name is Harish Will. Harish I will now be a deputy and a former deputy prime minister. He refused the telephone connection due to an unpleasant story that happened in his life. “At one time, when I was in office, there was a case in my family when fraudsters terrorized and threatened my family by telephone. I got a fear of every phone call, ”he says. “After I left politics, I received 13 calls a day. Once, after returning from work, I found my mother in a panic, from another attempt at harassment of scammers. I warned the relevant security authorities about the situation, but this did not change the situation in any way. The same fate befell one of my nephews, ”says Harish Budu.“I don’t know if the criminal who committed all these actions was found, but I took my number from the phone book and completely abandoned my mobile connection. I retained the taste of the experience for a long time. I have an emergency phone in my house, but I am not giving my phone number. And my family always knows how and where to find me, ”he says.“With regard to the situation with mobile phones today, I believe that society itself pushes young people to crime through mobile phones. They have tons of examples of how unnecessary to use their assistant assistants. Mobile phone manufacturers are bombarding young people with commercials, so phones are becoming not just an accessory for communication, but a necessity. "“A mobile phone can become an expensive pleasure not for teenagers as much as for their parents. I live without a telephone and without the Internet. I do not complain about my life or feel discomfort. Many people say that a mobile phone makes our life easier and more comfortable. And the facts say the opposite, you work twice as hard. Imagine a young guy whose job is to communicate with people. He, over time, becomes a slave to his means of communication ", says N." We have existed without a mobile phone for millions of years. Why not continue this trend now? ”Asks N. He is confident that the trend in the development of mobile communications is associated with the tendency to erase the personal life of each person. According to the plans of some ruling the world, this social phenomenon turns people into machines. “Have you ever noticed that the gentle pressure from your boss leads to the fact that you cannot afford to turn off your cell phone, even during your holidays. You are ranked among the dishonest employees. You are branded. You are a slave ", N. expresses his opinion." I do not refute the opinion that sometimes a mobile phone can be very useful in solving a particular issue, but using it for 24 hours a day is unacceptable. A person shows his individuality only in the process of direct communication. "Some critics of this point of view say that it is much easier to impress a person, being on the other end of the line. After all, there are a number of factors in the psychological impression of a person that can distort the first impression of you. Others, on the contrary, call this phenomenon "pseudo anonymity", with its own negative phenomena.

And what about the Internet?

“I believe the Internet has created an intellectual and social revolution. On the net you can find any information you are interested in. I am not against the internet. And if I need to use the Internet, which I cannot do, I ask the younger generation for help, ”says Harish Budu. “I don't have internet at home. This makes me feel more comfortable. At any time I can connect a wireless connection or use the Internet in the office, ”adds N.“My name is Jonathan Pannier. I am 22 years old and I am the CIO of one of the leading companies in France. For me, being always “in touch” is a professional necessity. I have to check my e-mail within 24 hours a day or, in extreme cases, be in touch through my mobile phone. The information that I receive and on which the work of an entire corporation depends is very important in my business. Very often I have to update my equipment to meet the standards of my professional activity. If the question is about whether I can do without the various technology that surrounds me, I think my answer will be negative. I’m not averse to giving up all this technical fuss, but I have to follow the movement forward, ”says Jonathan.Examples of isolated cases given in this article does not urge you to refuse to communicate. But, as author Robert Lalonde writes, in his articles: “Inability to communicate? This is not to say that we communicate little. We communicate too much and badly. " We are losing the culture of communication and forgetting the language of our ancestors, on which our upbringing was based. We play a "race" for prestige, for fashion trends, without giving up the importance of quality and consequences. And with every step towards new technologies, we are losing our own individuality.

PHOTO Getty Images

While I was working, the telephone was a basic necessity for me. They could call me at any time, I was constantly in touch. And from work, I called my daughter to find out where she was, when she was going home, to tell her what to eat for lunch, to ask how the day went and help with lessons, if necessary.

But when my daughter matured and left to study in another country, my rule of “being in touch” remained with me. And when I left work, the phone was still my constant companion. Not so much out of necessity as out of habit: you never know what. I laughed at myself: what could happen so urgent? But she kept it close at hand. Without him, I somehow felt uncomfortable.

However, everything changed when I bought a house three hundred kilometers from Moscow. A real country house with carved shutters, with a Russian stove, with a well on the site. Only without mobile communication: it is simply not there. And to my surprise, I realized that I could live calmly without her and feel great at the same time.

Goodbye city!

I leave my Moscow apartment and get into the car. There are five hours of road ahead. And the phone, of course, is with me, it lies nearby, so that it can be seen and heard. Finally I pass Vyshny Volochok and turn onto the road that goes through the forest. I am glad that I will soon be in the village. But then I start to make stops. I stop when I see a stone that is suitable for the curb on the site. I get out of the car to stretch my legs. I am looking for where to look for mushrooms. And all the time I wait for the mobile phone to voice, because I know that a "dead zone" will begin in a few meters.

During the trip, as usual, a good friend of mine called me a couple of times to find out how I was driving. Another message came from kniga.ru. And I didn't expect any more calls, because I warned everyone that I was leaving for three days and would be offline. But I drive slowly, with stops, because it seems to me that right now someone will call me or send me the most important message, or something very important will come to my mind and I will need to call someone urgently.

Finally I get there. And then I start to panic that I am “unavailable”. I'm unloading things from the trunk. I run to the well for water. Still with a mobile in my pocket, although I know that he does not catch here. But all the same I continue to hope: what if?

Getting used to the silence

I melt the stove so that the house warms up until nightfall and the firewood burns out, I bring in more firewood for the future, lay out my things ... And all the time I look at my phone, and there is a crossed out circle - a miracle does not happen, the network does not appear. But it is already starting to get dark, and you still need to close the gate and bring the remaining things into the house so that you don't run into the street in the dark.

Everything. Tired. Coached. I pour myself some tea and go out onto the veranda to admire the view before it gets completely dark. An overgrown area is in front of your eyes, trees are noisy, the sun is setting, air, silence, beauty. I begin to "recover": the panic subsides - first from despair, because there is still no network, and then because it is simply very good. The vain city thoughts leave my head and come simple and very reasonable village thoughts - about what needs to be done today and tomorrow and what, in general, before the cold weather. And now - rather put on the water to warm up, dry the bed linen, make dinner and go to bed not too late so as not to oversleep the Saturday grocery store, and then the "Zhigul", which will bring milk from a neighboring village.

And in the house there is a mobile with its crossed out circle, and now it is just an alarm clock. And there are three magical days of rest ahead! As before, when there were no mobile phones and left for as long as they wanted. And only once a week we went to the post office, ordered a conversation on a long-distance phone to inform that everything is fine on the whole, about the details at the meeting, and that time flies quickly and will see you soon. And when they met, they talked about the most interesting, funny and beautiful, because all the troubles by that time had already ended and were recalled as funny adventures.

Human communication instead of mobile

For three days I live in peace and quiet. I don't rush to call anyone if a problem arises, but calmly think it over and find a solution myself. I think well here when I am doing something around the house or in the garden, when I go to fetch water or heat the stove. Everything around gives calmness and solidity to thoughts. I just forget about the phone, and I like that I can go to my neighbors without a call, I like to meet someone on our village street and chat about everything in the world. And how much you learn while you wait for the grocery store! No internet needed. And in the evenings we go to visit each other here and again talk for a long time, share news and plans, agree on when we go to pick mushrooms ...

But three days of my country life will end, and I will come home, to the city, and my cell phone will again “walk” with me around the apartment. First, closer to the bathroom, then to the kitchen, then to the TV, then next to the pillow ... On the way back, everything will happen in reverse order: first the network will appear, then the same friend will call to find out how the road is and how I got there, and a message will come from kniga.ru. And it turns out that no one tried to call me during these three days. And why, in fact, if I warned everyone that I would leave? I myself am not at all upset that I have lived for three whole days without a single telephone conversation. And on the road I will not call anyone and I will not dial anyone from home, why? To report in live time about the traffic jam that I get into at the entrance to Moscow, about how tired I am from the long road?

No, I’d better call you later, when the impressions settle down, and all the most interesting, funny and beautiful things will appear in my memory - I’ll talk about this. And send photos from my wonderful, beloved and such a convenient mobile phone. But for some time I will still forget to take it out of my bag when I come home.

July 15 is celebrated World mobile phone free day... Meanwhile, in recent years, the mobile phone has become an essential tool for Russians in their daily work. As follows from the study, every third Russian is unable to part with his phone even for 24 hours.

Photo source: nicolasnova / CC BY-NC

A smartphone is also a phone

The question is, of course, a philosophical one. Yes, it is used for calls, but sometimes it seems like a secondary function.

According to the statements of the persons who were interviewed during the study, smartphones are used by 83% of all owners of mobile devices... In addition to voice calls, the respondents most often use the ability to send and receive SMS (89%), take photos and record videos (82%), surf the Internet (78%), receive and send letters (73%), use social networks ( 53%).

Nine out of ten smartphone users use mobile apps. Mainly for web browsing (94%), as well as for sending and receiving mail (68%). A large number of users use instant messengers (54%) and shopping apps (43%).

How much does it all cost

Every third Russian pays for the use of the telephone or telephone calls from 300 to 800 rubles, 17% of the respondents spend over 1,500 rubles a month, and 19% fits in the amount of up to 300 rubles.

Owning and using a smartphone costs not only a lot of money, but also time. More than half of Russians (60%) say they use their phone often (at least once an hour) or very often (every few minutes). Only every fourth respondent thinks that rarely (maximum, a couple of times a day), and only 13% picks up a phone once or twice a day.

Turning off the phone is not about me

Up to 32% of Russians are unable to disconnect mobile phone for 24 hours... The respondents do not imagine such a step, mainly because of the loss of contact with loved ones (47% of responses), as well as because of concern for those who may be worried, not being able to contact the owner of the phone (27%).

I wonder how such statements will sound in the mouths of future generations? Even now, young people cannot live without a telephone, which is shown by a number of studies carried out in Russia and in the world.

Meanwhile, according to other studies, more than half of Russians (53%) believe that a child should receive their first phone already in elementary school.

This experiment has already been carried out by many and I am far from the first who decided to test myself all day long without my smartphone. But everyone has a different personal experience. This is what I managed to feel.

There is no denying the fact that smartphones have greatly improved our lives... We wake up from an alarm clock, watch the weather, read the news, chat with friends, ask Siri questions, check the desired address on Google Maps ... All in one small device. If there is no application available that can help solve your problem, it is most likely already being developed right now. A smartphone is needed not only for pleasure, but also for work. We are waiting for an important call to find out about the progress of the case. We can find out the details of the last meeting on the go.

The excuse “I wanted to, but could not get in touch” has no place in the 21st century. Nobody will believe it.

A smartphone is not just an accessory, but a useful tool, without which we cannot leave the house. The advantages of using a smartphone clearly outweigh the disadvantages. But they prevent us from living the way we used to live. Perhaps that is why, left without connection, I began to feel freer.

1. I became less distracted

Surprisingly, I was able to concentrate better and better at work. I didn’t check my phone every 2 minutes and didn’t remove endless and meaningless notifications. If you follow a thousand people on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and follow what is happening in their lives, you simply will not have time for yours. So it is with me. I've often noticed that a smartphone gets in the way of finding that necessary work-life balance.

I remember Samsung had a model 5 years ago where you could switch between work and personal space modes. The settings icons and even the sounds in the phone changed. But apparently the system did not take root. Now this is no longer there. If you can finish more work in the office, then the evening can be devoted to relaxation and pleasant communication with loved ones. Don't take your phone to work. You will notice that you have time to do a lot more.

2. I really relaxed

Usually, on the way to work and at work itself, headphones or a headset for calls are constantly crowded in my ears, but when they are not there it is really a great feeling. There are, in fact, so many beautiful sounds around that I did not notice before. No, of course I suspected about them, but I never listened attentively. The singing of birds in the morning park, the sound of the wind in the trees, and so on. Even the sound of the scanner at work seemed somehow new to me. I never seem to notice it.

I also managed to get an excellent book in my home library, which I had been looking for on the net for a long time, but could not download it to my smartphone. During the break, I went to the park and I seemed to become feel completely new... Turning the pages and feeling the texture of the paper, the imagination starts up at maximum speed. Maybe I forgot too much how to live without electronics and exaggerate a little, but it really is. Without my gadget, I was really able to relax, rest and get rid of the feeling that my attention is being torn apart.

3. I enjoyed communication

Indeed, think about how many people you know personally from those with whom you constantly communicate on the Internet. Do those who write you 100 messages a day generally know about your problems, habits, desires? With the advent of new technologies, communication has become so impersonal that we may not immediately notice that we are communicating, for example, with a bot in Telegram. The need for live communication was and is one of the key skills in life.

We look through the smartphone screen at most events in life: whether it be a sports competition, a children's matinee or a date with a loved one. Left without a smartphone for one day, I realized that the memories we create together with live communication with other people will always be cooler than any photos and videos.

4. I focused on real life

There are many things that cannot be described or explained if your consciousness is now directed in a completely different direction. Food doesn't taste better if it is liked by hundreds of people on Instagram. Life will not become more fun if you are congratulated on your birthday by a thousand strangers on Vkontakte. And you certainly won't surprise your grandson with funny videos from Odnoklassniki ten years ago.

Your smartphone, and even more so social networks, only interfere with focusing on the little joys of life. Laughter of a child, hugs of a loved one and a warm meeting with friends. Think how many of these moments are taken away from us by modern technologies. Try to live in the present moment and communicate less in different applications. I realized that half an hour of live communication is better than 3 hours of dull and damn messages.

5. I felt safe

Few people wonder why you took your dog to the vet, but nevertheless, most people consider it necessary to mark their geo-position and take pictures of their pet. There is nothing wrong with that, and I do not judge such people at all. Moreover, I myself sometimes sin by such deeds. Sometimes it's okay to keep your family and friends informed about where you are and what you are doing. But without a smartphone, I noticed that I had become feel safe.

Keeping a few secrets hidden from the rest of the world, you begin to feel like a needed and really busy person.

For example, you can arrange to meet with someone once a week at the same time and in the same place without your smartphones and communication devices. you will feel how this meeting becomes much more special even if you just drink coffee and discuss the weather.

Technology is getting better, but the desire to be aware of everything only adds stress to our already stressful life. Therefore, try leaving your phone at home and on weekends you will get out into the forest, light a fire, snuggle up to your loved one, breathe in the cool autumn air. This is real life. It is difficult to convey this feeling. You just need to feel it. It looks like something from childhood, something warm and cozy.