Do We Communicate too Much?

Cell phones are a modern convenience many Americans enjoy, and sometimes overuse. With the advent of text messaging all applications available on "smart phones," people rely on cellphones to communicate. People talk on the phone while walking down the street and grocery shopping. To the dismay of law enforcement, despite laws prohibiting people from talking and texting while driving, it is still a common practice.

We rely on cellphones so much that it is shocking to think people survived in the pre-cellphone era. Instead, while out of their homes, people relied on pay phones to communicate. However, it was, and I argue is still, rare to see someone having a lengthy, in-depth conversation on a public telephone. Why? It is time consuming to figuratively attach oneself to a public phone and chat up a friend for a substantial amount of time.

Problem solved! With the cell phone people can have long phone conversations while going about their daily routines. I'm sure the people you sit next to on the subway or walk alongside down the street are interested in hearing about your medical problems, boyfriend troubles or mother issues. Cellphone convenience is wonderful, except for people who have to endure listening to someone's play-by-play about her steamy night with her best friend's boyfriend (true story).

From phone conversations on crowded buses and trains to talking while you are checking out at a store, people who have a cellphone permanently attached to their ears are annoying. I would venture to say that many of them overuse their cellphone in public to validate their social status, because obviously someone who is always on the phone has many friends. In reality, it is impossible to know if the person talking on a cellphone walking next to you down the street is actually talking to someone. Maybe they are pretending.

Environmental activists and Save The Children employees crowd Boston's Kenmore Square soliciting passersby to donate money to their cause. Although many of these people are well intentioned, they can be overbearing. Honestly, how many college students have $50 a month to spare? I have no problem volunteering my time to cleanup a park or do other philanthropic work. But, these organizations don't want my time. They want my money. And, I have major issues with cutting a monthly check to an organization who just cares about my money. When I do not want to deal with this "do-gooders," I pretend to be on my cellphone. Surprisingly, I am not the only one who does this.

Aside from avoiding tree-huggers, cellphones are great for getting out of other uncomfortable situations. To avoid an awkward run-in with an ex, all a person needs to do is pretend to be talking on the phone. Add a casual wave and maybe a smile, and it is the perfect recipe to get out of what has the potential to be a painful situation.

Cellphones are a wonderful convenience. However, it seems as though people use this communicative crutch to avoid real-life interactions. 2010 has more technology than 1980 had. But, has our overabundance of technological mediums led to the regression of face-to-face communicative skills?