Technology Addicts :: Technological Communication Essays

Technology Addicts Five empty passs form a circle in the center of the room. Slowly but surely, tidy sum aim to make their way into the room. A young man dressed in a black suit sits down with his Newsweek and briefcase. He adjusts his tie, clears his throat, and pushes his wire-rimmed glasses up onto the nosepiece of his nose. A teenage girl sits down beside him, tucking blonde strands of hair behind her ears to reveal tiny white headphones attached to her iPod. She crosses her right leg over the left, tapping her arse in mid-air to the beat. The worn wooden door creaks open again, slamming shut behind a twenty-something carrying a thin silver laptop computer. He slouches down into the chair with an exasperated sigh and begins to type furiously at the keyboard. The businessman glares over the top of his glasses at him when the familiar chimes of instant messaging become as frequent as the taps of the keys. The young man continues, oblivious to his surroundings. The clock on t he wall ticks closer to seven oclock as the last two people amble in. A middle-aged woman sits down with her knitting, occasionally stopping to jot notes in the sleek PDA beside her. Finally, a woman with a clipboard comes by dint of the door and takes her seat, completing the circle. She clears her throat and begins. Good evening, and welcome to group therapy. Lets go over the ground rules First no technology allowed at meetings. Put external your iPod, laptops, PDAs, etc. RIGHT NOW. And dont bring them back to these meetings or they will be confiscated. The group members scowl as they slowly wind up wires. My only different rule is that you participate. You wont get anything out of group therapy if you dont put anything into it. Lets begin. * * * What would our lives be like if technology were our life support? We would probably not be able to go an entire day without emails, instant messaging, or the World Wide Web. Cell pho nes might as well be permanently attached to our ears.