Some years ago - the first mobile phone for private
use appeared on the market. Wow, I can call my parents if I missed the bus.
Look, I can send you a message and you can answer in some minutes. You can play
with yours? Let me take a look, please. Oh, it’s snake, I love this game. I
could play it the whole day. You’re in level 9? Well, I’m already in level 11. While
I play, there’s a sound coming out of my phone. My parents are annoyed, but I
like it. It’s kind of funny. Nearly as funny as the sound of an incoming call.
Deeededeeedeeede.
Deeededeeedeeede. I hate this noise. I really do. My
little brother is standing in front of my bed, holding his iphone. Oh, I have
to explain, that’s my dad’s old one. My brother got a new app I guess. Yes, I’m
right. Something stupid about annoying sounds. Deeededeeedeeede. …how I miss
the good old times.
Breakfast. He’s skyping with his girlfriend. Of course
she’s got an iphone, too. I know, everybody has one these days. Or at least a
smart phone. I remember something a friend said yesterday: Smart phones, stupid
people.
Dad asks how the weather will be. Instead of taking a
look to the newspaper my brother shows his phone. Yes, I’ve forgotten that
talking isn’t necessary. Or taking a look through the window. It’s snowing,
well, not that difficult to guess how the weather will be. I grab the news
paper, accompanied by an uncomprehending head-shake. My brother just nods at
his iphone.
“ Lennard, please go and look for your sister. She has
to eat her breakfast.” Mom is always getting nervous we might starve to death.
Just some minutes later Debby is coming down the stairs. “Thanks for the
message bro.” She nods towards Lennard. “You’ve sent her a message just for tell
her that breakfast is ready?” Another uncomprehending head-shake while he
answers: “ Ehm, of course Mom. That’s much easier.”
While Debby is eating she shares her wisdom concerning
our food. As many calories as… It’s healthy, it’s unhealthy… What would we do
if her iphone won’t tell us these things?!My brother supports her with
searching cruel stories at the internet about people who died while eating
their croissants.
Dad’s checking his schedule while Mom is looking at
Facebook if there is any accident or something else. She doesn’t like if we
miss just one minute of the lessons.
Yes, even my Mum got an iphone and of course she ‘s at Facebook.
My dad takes us to school. I look at Lennard. Seems
like he has reached level 91 in a really stupid game. I look at Debby. She is
really busy chatting with some friends. I look at Dad. He is talking to a
client vi a head set.
Everyone is busy. But everyone is just paying
attention to all the things his or her iphone says. I’m sitting in the back
seat and I can’t imagine why everything became this way. Dad, Debby, Lennard.
They are all connected to the world but at the same time that’s what makes excludes
them from society. They don’t recognize it, but I do. They don’t recognize
anything, they’re concentrated at their iphones with headphones in their ears. I
know they are listening to music and Dad is listening to his client. They don’t
recognize the silence. They don’t recognize that we haven’t talked for a long
time. That we haven’t paid attention toourselves for quite a long time. They
haven’t even recognized that I dyed my hair. Thanks for your attention, dear
family. Thanks for stealing communication, dear iphone. Smart phones, stupid
people.
Deeededeeedeeede. My phone rings. I’ve still own that
one I had many years ago. I still enjoy playing snake. I answer the phone and
tell a friend why I’m not at school yet. We’re stuck in a traffic jam because
of the big amount of snow. “My iphone hasn’t told me anything about it!” I
smile. Stupid smart phones.
