Welcome to Gaia! :: View User's Journal | Gaia Journals

After putting in gas, I drove back to school, found a decent (but not very) parking spot and began walking back to the campus.

What I realize is this--and yes, I know it's not new information and I've realized this way before this post--

Everyone has cell phones. Yes, I know, duh. But also, these cell phones allow people to talk to other people when they're walking by themselves anywhere.

Cell phones obliterate loneliness but not in a good way. Cell phones both create a need for human contact and destroy that same need. Think about this. These little devices allow us to talk to who we want, when we want provided the other person answers the phone. Now, I'm walking to class, feel lonely and call someone. I'm no longer lonely (i know, my phone has been off during the day lately but this is a hypothetical situation) and i'm walking merrily to class talking to a friend. However, I spy someone in one of my classes that I would like to talk to but haven't, being the shy mouse that I am. But since I'm on the phone, my loneliness is not so great for me to want to talk to strangers. I no longer need to make outside friends if I can keep in contact with my other friends at most times.

This is true in class as well. Instead of listening to the professor or talking to the person next to me, I am text messaging a friend and have a fun conversation that way. I no longer feel the need to actually talk to someone right next to me. If I didn't have that cell phone, and was bored out of my mind, striking up a chat with the guy/gal next to me would be more likely to happen.

Now, this is ridiculous and hypothetical in my case for, as you know, I rarely talk to anyone anyway and if I do, no more than once. But this is a general hypothesis about normal people which I don't happen to believe I belong in that group. I remember when I didn't have a cell phone and I was still shy as hell, although, thinking back, I was a bit more outgoing when I realized I'd have to be or spend the entire semester wishing I was somewhere else (and yes I do that anyway.) That's my scientific bit of the day.