June 2, 2016 (Thursday)
I have a cell phone. I don’t remember when I got it, so I don’t know how long I’ve had it, but it’s definitely not what they call a “smart phone.” It does not have a camera in it, and it does not connect to the internet. I don’t think it stores pictures. It’s a phone. It’s nice to have in case of an emergency whenever I leave home. It’s also nice these days since I got a landline that does not work when there is a power failure, which seems to happen often.
Millions of people, however, have smart phones or whatever theirs might be called. If they see something they would like the world to see, they take a snapshot and send it out for everyone to see.
Coupled with the myriad of “apps” that connect the user with everyone in the world, such devices have changed the world in a relatively short period of time.
A child crawls into a gorilla pit in a Cincinatti zoo, and the video goes out as it happens. Sadly, the gorilla is killed by the keepers, and the airwaves are filled with messages of protest, telling the keepers what they should have done and demanding that the child’s mother be jailed.
Not long ago we would have waited for the morning newspaper to tell the story and show us the grainy black and white photos of the incident. The development of protests, etc. would have taken days to gather steam and become known. Not anymore. Today, we watch it as it happens if we have the right kind of phone.
My cell phone rings if someone calls me, and I ring theirs if I make a call, which seldom happens. It’s a phone. Of course, it has some “apps” that came with it, but I haven’t the faintest idea of how to use them or even what they are. It’s a phone. I bought a phone, I pay a monthly bill. I have a phone. Pure and simple. It’s enough for me. But evidently that’s not enough for others.
Remember the program, “Smile, you’re on candid camera?” Well, smile. You’re on.