Technology dependency

I felt helpless this weekend. I felt as if I was alone — isolated from the rest of the world. Isolated from my friends, my family.

Utterly alone — because I lost my cell phone.

Well, it wasn’t exactly lost, but I dropped in one of the writer’s cars on Friday after we went to lunch and I wasn’t able to get it back for two days.

For the next 48 hours, I was off the grid.

Sure, I still had the Internet, but it was difficult reaching people who weren’t at their computers 24/7. And since it was Friday night, getting in touch with people without my cell phone proved difficult.

I spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to find people’s numbers through my online phone records. I quickly realized that identifying phone numbers was quite difficult without names next to them.

I didn’t think I would ever become this, but I am a cell phone addict. I am lost without mine.
I remember back when passing notes in school meant writing on little scraps of paper — not text messaging. Back when calling a friend meant having their number memorized, and not scrolling down a list to find their name.

It wasn’t until this weekend that I realized how dependent our society has become on technology.

Take away the Internet and cell phones and modern American society is crippled. It’s become such a integral part of our lives that removing it is like removing a limb.

Don’t believe me? Tell that to everyone who picked up the new iPhone.

It’s amazing considering that only a decade ago, both of these were considered luxuries.

It’s hard for someone of my generation to remember a time when shooting someone a letter took days instead of mere seconds.

Thank goodness I have my cell phone back now. Now, to find my house keys.