The social network of backofthebook.ca, Canada's online magazine
The future... Sucks
Before I moved to Vancouver the idea of cellphones pissed me off. I swore I would never get one. If someone wanted to get ahold of me they could call me at home - if I wasn't there, shit-out-of-luck. But, unfortunately for me, the first basement suite I moved into didn't have a landline, and it was cheaper for me to pick up a cellphone than install a landline in the suite. Well, that's when I got my first taste of that sweet sweet drug, and I was hooked - I was a communication whore.
Plus I was in film school - and stupidly fell into the role of producer - so I was on my phone all the time. I had to call classmates, teachers, suppliers, locations, blah, blah, blah. If my monthly bill was under $120 I was amazed and pleased. But that rarely ever happened. A cellphone was my god - I could get hold of anyone I needed, any time I wanted. It got to the point where I was frustrated when someone didn't have a cellphone - like the majority of my family. Why wouldn't they want such a useful tool? Idiots.
But my communication whoreism didn't stop there - no. I wanted to be totally connected all the time - phone, e-mail, facebook - 24 seven. After graduating from film school I started working as a production coordinator, which meant I was in front of my computer for at least 12 hours a day - and I loved it. I could check my e-mail non-stop. My mail program alerted me when I had a new e-mail. I would respond as quick as I could - no reason to let anyone wait ever for a response from me. Meanwhile, my cellphone sat on my desk beside me, I don't think I ever missed a call - I probably could have gotten rid of my voicemail and it would have made no difference. And when I wasn't doing actual work - I was facebooking like the best of them. I totally had the dopest status ever - updated all the time.
This went on for a while - until I up and decided to take off to Europe for a backpacking trip. I travelled around by myself, sans computer, cellphone, and people contacting me all the time. I kept a blog, that I updated sparingly, which was my connection to the real world. And it was nice - to escape, get away. I didn't have to answer to anyone, people couldn't get ahold of me all the time. What a feeling. I was actually free - I had escaped the future.
Then after the month or so I was there, I had to come back to my world. Working in the production office, e-mailing, facebooking, texting, the usual. But it had lost some of its appeal, a lot of wonderment was gone. I no longer jumped on an e-mail like there was a five second rule. I started ignoring phone calls. I deleted my facebook account.
Yup, you heard right, I deleted my facebook account. I have been totally facebook free for over a month and a half now - and none of you will ever guess how liberating it is. I don't have to ignore kids I used to go to highschool with, who I no longer care to have communication with. I no longer know way too much information about all my ex-girlfriends. I no longer need to tell people what my favorite movies are. People have to actually talk to me now if they want to know anything about me.
So I sit here, debating whether or not I really want to get an iPhone. A part of me wants to go back to the times that when I was out, I was out. Or my writing was done with a pen and paper, not my MacBook. A simpler time. A nicer time.
But then again, a part of me wants to know what time and where Vicky Cristina Barcelona is playing when me and my friend decided on the fly to go while sitting in a starbucks enjoying a grande, halfcaf, double hot, extra foam, three shot, mocha. Life doesn't get simpler than that.
www.nathanielmoher.com
Plus I was in film school - and stupidly fell into the role of producer - so I was on my phone all the time. I had to call classmates, teachers, suppliers, locations, blah, blah, blah. If my monthly bill was under $120 I was amazed and pleased. But that rarely ever happened. A cellphone was my god - I could get hold of anyone I needed, any time I wanted. It got to the point where I was frustrated when someone didn't have a cellphone - like the majority of my family. Why wouldn't they want such a useful tool? Idiots.
But my communication whoreism didn't stop there - no. I wanted to be totally connected all the time - phone, e-mail, facebook - 24 seven. After graduating from film school I started working as a production coordinator, which meant I was in front of my computer for at least 12 hours a day - and I loved it. I could check my e-mail non-stop. My mail program alerted me when I had a new e-mail. I would respond as quick as I could - no reason to let anyone wait ever for a response from me. Meanwhile, my cellphone sat on my desk beside me, I don't think I ever missed a call - I probably could have gotten rid of my voicemail and it would have made no difference. And when I wasn't doing actual work - I was facebooking like the best of them. I totally had the dopest status ever - updated all the time.
This went on for a while - until I up and decided to take off to Europe for a backpacking trip. I travelled around by myself, sans computer, cellphone, and people contacting me all the time. I kept a blog, that I updated sparingly, which was my connection to the real world. And it was nice - to escape, get away. I didn't have to answer to anyone, people couldn't get ahold of me all the time. What a feeling. I was actually free - I had escaped the future.
Then after the month or so I was there, I had to come back to my world. Working in the production office, e-mailing, facebooking, texting, the usual. But it had lost some of its appeal, a lot of wonderment was gone. I no longer jumped on an e-mail like there was a five second rule. I started ignoring phone calls. I deleted my facebook account.
Yup, you heard right, I deleted my facebook account. I have been totally facebook free for over a month and a half now - and none of you will ever guess how liberating it is. I don't have to ignore kids I used to go to highschool with, who I no longer care to have communication with. I no longer know way too much information about all my ex-girlfriends. I no longer need to tell people what my favorite movies are. People have to actually talk to me now if they want to know anything about me.
So I sit here, debating whether or not I really want to get an iPhone. A part of me wants to go back to the times that when I was out, I was out. Or my writing was done with a pen and paper, not my MacBook. A simpler time. A nicer time.
But then again, a part of me wants to know what time and where Vicky Cristina Barcelona is playing when me and my friend decided on the fly to go while sitting in a starbucks enjoying a grande, halfcaf, double hot, extra foam, three shot, mocha. Life doesn't get simpler than that.
www.nathanielmoher.com
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1 Comment
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Comment by Frank Moher on August 22, 2008 at 3:08am - Nice post. I read it on my cellphone, by the way.
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