Our Electronic Extremities

Ever since the beginning of time humans have necessitated communication. From the very first signs of life we have used a subtle process of exchange, which has now been revolutionized to mass communication. Through the transmission of signals we developed the telephone, which enabled bidirectional human conversations over distances farther than a person could shout. And with this advancement began the latter era of the handheld cellular mobile phone, which we affectionately call, “the cell phone.”

Now by the twentieth century, cell phones are integrated into almost everyone’s lives. Yet, obviously in some third world countries, the cell phone may not be as prevalent, but it’s still known to exist. From grannies to toddlers, I think it’s highly uncommon to find someone who doesn’t have, or has never had a mobile phone. And I find when I’m trying to reach someone who doesn’t have a cell phone; it fills me with a terrible rage. We all find the need to be in contact at all times at the drop of a hat. This effortless accessibility seems to be a blessing as well as a curse.

Not only that, but cell phones have so many features, that its primary reason for existence (making phone calls) doesn’t seem to matter anymore. Take the latest G1 Google phone for instance, equipt with instant access to the Internet though the single tap of a finger on its touch sensitive screen. It even has a feature where it will identify a song for you by simply having it listen to a portion of the music in question. In our society a phone like this seems to give a person a heightened status. For they have the latest and greatest, the best of the best.

This phone seemingly attests to almost all the human senses, sight, sound, and touch, leaving out only taste and smell. Maybe that’s the reason why we can’t put these little devices down, because we find them so pleasurable to the senses. I don’t know about everyone else, but if I go a day without my phone I feel incomplete and inaccessible. To me my cell phone is like another appendage. An arm, a leg, a hand or perhaps a foot. Maybe someday the cell phone will be one with our bodies. Yet, at this moment in time they are made of atrocious material foreign to our bodies, such as different polymers and plastics, with various metals in the circuitry. Or even outer casings made of aluminum alloys.

I predict that someday we will “upgrade” cell phones to be made out of more organic material, making it as similar to the human body as possible so it will be impossible to be forgotten. It will be even more of a status symbol in our materialistic superficial society. The cell phone and plastic surgery will be one in the same.