Portland, OR

Seriously.

Some days, I choose to look at Portland through an anthropologist’s lens, and something that is becoming increasingly clear to me is how ubiquitous the Apple iPhone has become. And in a fairly disturbing way. Is it that the price has come down, because that is what caused the crack epidemic in the ’80’s. A cheaper way to get a cocaine high and voila, the inner city is decimated. I’m being glib, of course, but it must have something to do with the now suddenly semi-affordable iPhone. It must.

In that, I am speaking of iPhone addiction.

Yeah, I know the picture thing is cool, but I still don’t really feel like looking at your pictures. And I can pull up the same information on my ol’ regular cellphone web browser that you can, too. Oh, wait, I do not feel the need to google something in the middle of our conversation. That said, iphones are becoming a nuisance, an invasive species that is choking out conversation.

I work in a restaurant, and I cannot begin to tell you how many people at tables, with other people, spend most of their meal, not talking with their companions, but instead peering myopically down at their iphone.

And there is something in that, too. All iphone users seem to huddle over the device, inwardly craning their bodies as if trying to squeeze themselves in their new BFF. Or instead caving into the need for constant email connectivity.

It’s ok to be offline. It’s ok to be a phone call away instead of instantly at someone’s command to read and respond to their every communicative desire.

That is what phones are for. Texting is great, too, I am all for texting. But we all need to unplug from our new tamagotchis. The iPhone won’t die if you don’t play with it.

apple, iphone, iphones, Portland, addiction, cell phones, cocaine, google, invasive species, tamagotchis