Monday, October 18, 2010

Cell Phone Withdrawal

This is my very nice and supportive roommate Leah Elizabeth Smith. Even though it meant she couldn't call me for 48 hours which made her sad, I surrendered my phone to her late one night. Really this only made her sad because she didn't hear Harry Potter ringtones for 48 hours.  I seldom use my phone and often let it go uncharged for days, so I thought this would hardly be a challenge for me. I didn't get a cell phone until my junior year of high school and I don't use text messaging so I am not extremely dependent on my phone for communication. As a musician, I rely on e-mails for rehearsals because they are coordinated mostly by the music faculty via e-mail. Otherwise, I do the majority of my work individually (practicing) and while I occasionally use my phone to check the time and make quick calls home, it is not a major part of my life. To stay in touch with my friends from home I use skype and facebook. If I did not attend UNCSA, this would probably be different. Living in a residential community, I am generally able to find people when I need to, even when my phone is not charged, because I normally do not have time to socialize or study in groups until after in-building curfew. However, it is frustrating to my friends and peers that I do not keep my cell phone on, and they even complain that I do not use text messaging, as they are so heavily dependent on it. They often complain that I am "hard to reach" but I feel that not being dependent on my phone helps me make more personal connections with people because I try to seek them out in person. Regardless of my lack of phone dependancy, it is still frustrating when I want to make a call and my phone is dead, and it was especially difficult during this challenge, because I had to coordinate weekend plans for transportation with my parents. I eventually had to re-activate my phone an hour or two early because of a family emergency, but this challenge is normally a part of my weekly life.

6 comments:

  1. So I enjoyed the letter to the editor - you're right, local newspapers do aid social capital and I think the primary reason is that people can't comment virtually and instantly on what they read in the paper - they have to say it out loud to someone else which naturally enhances social capital and builds a common ground of interest. Plus Emerson I like your observation that its a lot easier to go without certain technologies on UNCSA campus than it would be if we didn't primarily live together.
    Maria

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  2. Last year, I was a lot like Emerson as far as cell phone habits. I just about never had it on me and only used it to text occasionally and phone home. This summer I got a droid and I almost always have it on me. Reading this kind of made me miss the privacy and peace of people knowing I don't always have my cell phone on me.

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  3. I agree when you said that living in a residential community makes not having a phone less difficult to communicate. If we didn't live here i think not having a cellphone would decrease social capital greatly. However, I do like not having my cell because I feel like my life is more peaceful without it.

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  4. I agree with all that has been said. I thought this was a great lab to do. I think that since UNCSA is such a tight community that not having a cell phone would be pretty easy and it could help our social capital. Although i agree with Carsyn that if we were at a normal high school, or living at home that not having a cell phone would hinder our social capital greatly because your not always with your friends and you might need to contact them to hang out. And hanging out with friends helps your social capital.

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  5. I applaud your cell phone use. It is healthy to spend time disconnected. I think I will follow your example and leave my phone in a drawer more often. If there is an emergency, I think I can still be reached through the school.

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  6. I do not like using my cell phone. I often refer to it as a leash. If I could, I would put it away forever. Unfortunately the current lifestyle demand we have one. There are just too many people to stay in touch with. This lab is great, because it shows that people really do not NEED a phone.
    -Shannon SW

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