Cell Madness

To begin with--a disclaimer.

TNB is certainly a believer in and user of modern technology. He has an I Pad and Kindle (both recently acquired) and could not exist without the Internet, which he uses both for business and pleasure (this blog being sort of in-between). Of course, like everyone over the age of 10, he has a cell phone which is currently a Blackberry Torch. So he's not just some old you-know-what wishing for a return to simpler days like say rotary phones, party lines and "slugs" (if you don't know ask someone over 65).

What has TNB flipping his wig (figuratively speaking) is the way that the use, or misuse, of cell phones is dominating behavior today. Besides the obvious--distracted drivers (TNB uses hands free bluetooth) and pedestrians-- there is now almost no place (even restroom stalls) that one can escape the rudeness of many modern cell phone users. Restaurant usage is bad enough, but now, despite repeated admonitions to the audiences it appears that more and more cell phones are ringing in theatres, both movie and live.

An egregious current example was pointed out last week by Chicago Tribune theatre critic Chris Jones. At a recent performance at Steppenwolf Theatre of the classic Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, a ringing cell phone stopped the performance with about 2 minutes to go. Jones cited other examples of the boorishness of modern theatregoers. Incredibly, at a performance of this same show (terrific BTW) yesterday, a cell phone rang 3 seats from TNB, but the actors went on. At the next intermission a number of patrons (of course including TNB) chastised the woman whose phone it was, who incredibly explained that she had just bought the phone 2 days ago and didn't know how to turn it off (someone showed her).

Lest you think this is a generational complaint, this woman, as well as many cell phone abusers was a contemporary of TNB. Yet she like so many people behave today as if the invention of cell phones marked the beginning of our society and culture. It does appear that rather than being a useful piece of technology, the cell phone is now often controlling our lives.