Tag: connectivity

The most important thing to carry with you all the time.

I would say the most important thing to carry with you all the time is underwear. I have a pair on right now. They are good at absorbing sweat and occasional drips and catch things that unintentionally fall out. They also hold things in so that other clothing fit appropriately. I wear them practically all the time, with the exception being when I’m in the shower or having sex. I know some people in nudist colonies don’t wear them at all, but sometimes I wonder how that works. When you sit on your leather sofa, do you wipe it down afterwards? Don’t mean to offend any nudists here. I’m just a pro underwear kind of guy.

Sorry. A lot of my posts are pretty serious. I had to insert some form of humor in here. I’ll be normal in a few minutes…

Seriously, the material object you need most these days is your cell phone. It has so many critical uses. I don’t know how we would live without it anymore. I will list a few below, but there’s tons of features, and the list keeps growing. Unfortunately, there’s also plenty of downsides to cell phone usage.

  1. It’s a lifeline to emergency services.
  2. You never get lost anymore.
  3. You are never out of touch with your peeps.
  4. There are useful apps for everything.
  5. You can summon transportation.
  6. You can do all your online shopping.
  7. You can check all your accounts.
  8. You can read your email.
  9. You can search the internet.
  10. You always have a camera and video recorder.
  11. You can record criminal behavior.
  12. You can live stream to the whole world.
  13. You can plan your whole day on it.
  14. It can become your alarm clock.
  15. It tracks your every step.
  16. You can run a small business on it.

I can actually remember a time when absolutely no one had a cell phone. All the phones were connected to a wire somewhere in the house, building, or booth. It’s called a landline today, but back then it was just called a phone or telephone. Some people still use a landline, but their numbers are dwindling. Also, when was the last time you used or even noticed a phone booth? Honestly, I don’t even know what to put in the home phone field on an application anymore. My phone is homeless.

Possible Discussion Ideas

  1. Do you find the cell phone indispensable?
  2. What do you like or use most on your phone?
  3. Do you remember landlines and phone booths?
  4. Do you remember traveling with only a paper map?
  5. Has your cell phone ever been a lifesaver?
  6. Do you feel naked without your cell phone?
  7. Do you feel naked without your underwear?

It wasn’t for me.

I remember there used to be a time when there wasn’t an internet, but I honestly don’t like to think about it. It was a time when everyone was expected to do everything in person or through paper. It was a time when people couldn’t work from home very easily. It was an era that predates blogging and many forms of self-publication. It was really not for me. I was born for the internet, and I spend a ridiculous amount of time there.

Some people like to blame the internet for everything, and there are some negative aspects, but if you really think about it, it has made the world a better place. Here are some things it has added.

  • Better connection to other people. Before the internet, it really wasn’t that easy to keep up with people you went to school with, or family that moved out of state. I remember my grandmother actually had to write to her cousins on paper and use snail mail. That definitely wasn’t optimal, though it did build anticipation and teach patience.
  • The internet allows for anonymity. Some people see this as an evil aspect of the internet, but I think it is absolutely critical. Societies and governments tend to silence and chastise people who criticize them out of fear that if enough people gather together, they will overthrow them. Without anonymity, those people would not be able to state the truth about their society or government.
  • It is more inclusive. The internet is pretty much everywhere now. Before it, you had to really work hard to connect with people outside your local community or state. The world has become much smaller and striking up a conversation with someone across the globe is trivial now.
  • The information age opened up tons of jobs that allow you to work from home, or anywhere there is an internet connection. You can literally work from the beach if you like. You can travel the world if you like, taking your work with you. You also don’t have to worry about that dreaded commute anymore. The only highway you have to be on is the information superhighway.
  • It provided an outlet for tons of creative minds. There are so many creators out there now. It’s almost becoming an expectation in our society. Without the ability to self-publish, you would have to get everything approved by a bureaucratic publishing system and advertising was pretty slow and expensive. Now, you just create an account on social media and start sharing.
  • Of course, the best part of having the internet is that you get to read this amazing blog. 🙂

So, what’s your favorite thing about the internet? Could you live without it? Tell me about it in the comments, and don’t forget to like and subscribe.