Snippet: On Phones and Death ☇

Ethan Kaplan reflects on how phone calls have gone from a normal run-of-the-mill occurrence to something that has been replaced for many except for bad news:

The iPhone changed a lot in the world, but for me it pushed the primacy of the phone as an emotional connection behind its utility as a data conveyance. Data is only granted as much significance as you give it through how its represented, and how that which is represented is read. You can close the screen, delete the app, clear your history.

But while I have relegated my phone to this, and trained others to this fact, I inadvertently created a high pass filter that only gated through those which had something to tell me of import. Namely my family and friends. I know people won’t try to call me as a matter of practice because I rarely pick up or return phone calls. I email them back instead, or text. Over time this means that when I’m called it’s for a serious purpose.

I agree with Kaplan’s sentiments, especially in the “just text me” mentality that we’re seeing more and more, although I still do enjoy a chatty conversation with a friend I may have lost touch with or a family member. Still, the monthly amount of minutes I use is probably far lower than even just a few years ago.