My avatar is a 1957 Packard Predictor. I am using that because when I was a boy, this was the "car of the future." Looks to me like they got part of it correct.
I have two 60" flat screens connected to Directv DVR's. We have a computer room with a giant screen PC. We have a Comcast device, (for free), that records every caller and number to our home phone. I do not understand why I need a Cellular phone, (if we make a trip, I'll buy a cheap throw away for the trip). Smart phones, IPODs, miniature computers. I can't see the point of them. Looks to me like a lot of people are missing social interaction while they push buttons on their toys.
I will have some interesting questions for this forum.
This can provoke some interesting responses.
As far as needing, need is determined by if you truly require something, which can be entirely different for all of us.
I believe that having a mobile phone of some sort can be invaluable, but it's really dependent on your life style. I live in a fairly active city, and there have been times that I am contacting my friend to give directions last minute, or that I had to call 911 when someone hit a motorcyclist and ran while he was bleeding out in the road, etc. it's really useful for last minute instructions or communications.
Regarding missing social interaction due to hand held electronics I completely agree, however, here are some things to consider. On one hand these technologies allow a "new" archetype of personality to exist and be more prevalent, the introverted personality. With society encouraging extroverts and sometimes condemning introverts, despite a large percentage (estimated 16-50%) of people being introverts. I have spent a lot of my time with people making wrong assumptions simply due to the way that I interact. Such as at parties I don't particularly enjoy being in a group or taking turns talking louder and louder with one another until everyone is practically yelling, especially with any form of music or noise going on. I find it unnerving and usually can't wait to get away from it all, hence why I may find a quieter part of the house or location and play on my phone or talk to 1-2 people. This is part of me being an introvert and handheld electronics can be quite enjoyable during social gatherings simply because I do not usually enjoy these gatherings, but society tries to force these things with things such as social interaction in general with things such as group think, conformity, social norms, peer pressure etc.
On the other hand, these technological devices can sort of dehumanize us in terms of being able to interact with one another in the "real world" real world being outside of any sort of electronic barrier; like talking to a person one on one in an interview rather than it being over skype. Technology in general can be degrading to human interaction, you could say that those TVs are a problem as they make you focus your attention on them and present a false way of things as being plausible. Not to mention, TV bombards you with one way communication, it sends you a message, but no real interaction occurs. It's not nearly like a conversation with another person face-to-face. Martin Heidegger's "The Question Concerning Technology" essay dissects this issue a lot more in depth, but it's philosophy so it can be hard to grasp and some consider it a worthless investment of time. In abstract, Heidegger feels that any technology at all turns something from beautiful and natural to an object and sort of demoralizes us. Heidegger uses the Rhine River as an example, he speaks on how poetry could be written about the river, however once a hydroelectric plant was placed on it, the river was ruined. He goes on to argue that the river was ruined due to the hydroelectric plant sort of objectifying the river. The river is now a source of electricity, rather than a natural beauty. Heidegger reduces beauty to Aristotle's Four Causes and argues in terms of his dazein and experiencing aletheia. It's an interesting read, but likely requires reading of a few more essays of his to get a good idea of what he means and why he thinks it. It has been a year or so since I have read it so I'm a bit rusty on it.
In abstract: Portable electronic devices can be particularly useful for introverts or an otherwise bored person such as when people are waiting outside of a class at college.
Also, just about all technology can and does cause us to miss out on social interaction, be it minute or of considerable magnitude.
