The tumbler glass of a Latte which I’d expected to get at least a half hour out of was very empty. The Silence that surrounded us had sidled its way in the pub’s back door and wrapped itself around us – four friends whose conversation had hit a black spot. Usually, our chatter couldn’t cease so this awkward moment was quite an enigma.
The catalyst of the problem, of course, was technology. The smartphones were out; minds had drifted away to far-flung places like Twitter – where Alex lives, to Instagram where David was checking how much love his pint of Guinness picture received and Tinder where Kevin repeatedly swiped right in search of true love.
What was the problem some of you may ask? My Smartphone was dead. I was alone surrounded by friends online. What could I do, I’d already read the ingredients on the Heinz Ketchup sachet four times?
Although conversation, eventually, got going again. The horrific event got me musing over whether phones should be banned from social meetups?
Last year, Chris Rock divided opinion when introducing a ban on mobile phones on his tour. The Total Blackout Tour saw the devices of fans locked away in special pouches for the whole event. Indeed, the famous comedian’s act was appreciated by many – Singer Amy Macdonald tweeted her support when attending the Glasgow Total Blackout event.
But not all gig goers agreed:
The fact is that phones have rapidly become a significant part of everyday life. A recent survey in Ireland found that over 90 per cent of the population has access to smartphones – higher than the European average. What’s more is the survey found that Smartphone users check there phone on average 57 times a day.
It’s obvious Irish people love their phones – may be more than anything – but over 50 per cent of those surveyed believe they use their phone too much. However, more, stirring is the impact smartphones can have on sleep with more than 44 per cent admitting they check their phones during the night.
The love of smartphones is growing literally in the case of Aaron Chervenak who MARRIED his phone in The Little Vegas Chapel, Las Vegas in 2016. The husband of a much-loved phone sees the marriage as an attempt to make a point about society’s growing devotion to and reliance on smartphones.
‘If we’re gonna be honest with ourselves, we connect with our phones on so many emotional levels,’ Chervenak stated in a video documenting his out of the ordinary wedding. He added, ‘We look to it for solace, to calm us down, to put us to sleep, to ease our minds, and to me, that’s also what a relationship is about.’
Now, I don’t think any of my friends want to marry their phones – mine dies so often it would be an emotional cartwheel – but I agree with Chris Rock’s actions and think that a similar policy should be taken when engaging with friends in conversation.
So wish me well in my attempt to introduce my new law – shutdown phones when meeting up. It’s likely I’ll have to take it to a referendum!
