Monday, September 19, 2005

Akous?

I hate cellphones. I loathe them. I resent the fact that someone had to invent a way to reach people no matter where they are or what they are doing. Then again, I am one of those people who won't answer the landline if I am busy doing something. I despise the interruption of a ringing phone, in any situation. I do, however, acknowledge the convenience of having a cell phone. I carry one out of sheer paranoia, in case I get into an accident or something happens to me. But for the most part I keep it shut off or I ignore it. It is also a good way to get in touch with my husband while he is at work, since he is usually doing rounds in the hospital and not situated in a nice little office.

When I left America, cell phones had not quite infiltrated the market. I'd say maybe 20% of people had cell phones at the time. I think I only had one friend who had a cell phone, and he had it in lieu of a landline. Imagine then, my utter amazement when I arrived in Athens and realized that everyone had a cell phone, from the ages of 8 to 80. When I travelled to Thessaloniki to visit the family for the first time, there were often times when I saw 4 or 5 cell phones on the coffee table at one time (and of course, the men of the family were always playing with them). There are times at holidays when I suspect there to be upwards of 16 cell phones in the apartment at one time. This can't be healthy.

It is particularly enjoyable going to a coffeehouse only to find that everyone around you is either talking on their cellphone or sending text messages. I'll see tables of 4 or 5 teenagers, ostensibly there to hang out together, all of them fixated on their cellphones and not paying one lick of attention to one another. Oh the irony - this technology meant to bring us together, seems to be pushing us apart, condoning anti-social behavior in normally social settings.

Particularly annoying about this cellphone culture is having to hear everyone's conversations all around me all the time, every day. It seems that some predominant psychology causes people to speak abnormally loudly when they talk on a cellphone, and we are talking about Greek people here, so it can be like there is shouting all around you. Trust me, I don't want to hear your conversation. I don't care about the inane things people waste their precious cell minutes jabbering about. The only saving grace is the fact that I don't understand spoken Greek as readily as written Greek, so for the most part I can't pick up the details of their sordid little lives. It is easier to ignore what you can't understand. But it is really hard to ignore the guy who speaks so loudly you can hear him with the doors closed, six stories up. Especially when he is shouting akous? (can you hear me?) into the phone at 150 decibels. Yes, as a matter of fact, I can hear you. So hang up and call back when you have better reception.

The only time I would have actually encouraged the use of a cellphone was the other day, when a guy was outside shouting hello to a neighbor a couple floors up. A simple wave and hello is fine, but these two proceeded to have a conversation! I guess he forgot his cellphone. Imagine that.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ha! I'm one of those people! If I leave the house without my cell and then realize, I go cold. The thought of missing calls and messages makes me feel well ill. Thankfully that doesn't happen much.

Now let's talk about you, you carry a cell but shut it off? Your one of those people you call and get the 'switched off' message? If so then I demand you take your cell back to the store. It's a mobile which means it works outside the house. It annoys me so much when people say "oh I left it at home" or "it was switched off". People like that don't deserve phones.

I dunno how to tell you this but this culture has caught on in the States. People are now attached to their cell's and also to a service called 'push to talk' which we don't have here because the networks don't want to launch it. From your point of view, I'm surprised you don't embrace this culture. You can write sms messages to your friends/family in the States while your out and about. I send and recieve sms messages from all over the world. USA included.

So rather than hate this cellphone culture, embrace it and make it your new best friend. Once you open your heart, you'll never want to let it go (urgh, where did that come from?)

melusina said...

Nah, Ellasdevil, I will never embrace cell phones. I hate having a regular phone, let alone a cell phone. I know they've since gotten huge in America, but my friends and family are still, for the most part, sans cell phone. Sometimes, it is just nice NOT to be reached, you know?

Yea, Sappho, taxi drivers and their cell phones, sheesh! And I thought it was supposed to be illegal to talk and drive. Maybe taxi drivers are above the law. =p

The SeaWitch said...

I'm like Mel. I have a cell phone and I hate talking on it. I even hate talking on the telephone. That's where the Internet comes in handy. It's my communication medium so whenever anyone bitches at me for switching my phone off I always tell them that they know where to find me if they want to...online. I always respond to emails.

Infindecimal slice said...

I love talking on cellphones! If i don't want to be reached i just set my phone to show I am out of reach ^^