To what extent is our dependence on smartphones?
It's probably the same value as the oxygen we breathe, if not more.
I was on board a flight back to Penang last night. From where I was sitting, the picturesque island dotted with flickering lights framed by a pitch-black background was beyond words. For that brief moment, I was filled with both wonder and humility at being alive and blessed with sight. A slight drop in the air pressure, however, reminded me that the plane was getting ready to land. I peeled my eyes from the window and as I switched on the reading light, I saw at least three fellow passengers who were not bothered by the aerial view or the pilot's announcement that we're about to land. Their world revolves around their smartphones, even when we're descending from thousands of feet in the air.
While I silently recite prayers for a safe landing (I don't quite fancy my end to be part of a metal wreckage. There's a big difference between resting in peace or in pieces!), the girl sitting in front of me was busy posting up comments on her Facebook wall. While she travels on a budget airline, she must have done so in a bid to hide her status as one of the most socially active persons on Earth. It is highly possible that the world may just come to a complete halt and the riders of Apocalypse will run amok if we don't know where she is and what she's doing at that exact second. She may be thinking that she's doing humanity a favour by updating her status and posting comments at the expense of other passengers' safety. So what if a plane full of passengers meet their premature end thanks to her? It should be of little concern that our epitaphs will read, 'Here lies beloved son/daughter/child of so and so. A life cut short by people obsessed with smartphones.' On the other hand, her epitaph will probably read as 'Stay connected. I've checked in to the other side'.
Across the aisle, a middle-aged lady was jabbing her phone screen furiously. With freshly painted nails, she seemed hell-bent that her message(s) must reach the intended recipient(s) that very minute. Judging by her speed and intensity in typing out the messages, we could only imagine the importance of such messages. She could very well be a high-powered Wall Street broker or a nation's president, where one sms from her dictates global financial catastrophe or grave security concerns. I very much regretted the missed opportunity of reading her messages. If I'm to meet my maker earlier than scheduled just because one lady couldn't stop fiddling with her phone, I think I deserve to know whether it's over her 'I'm landing soon. Get the car ready' or 'Urgent meeting. FYA' message. Either way, I doubt she'll have time to type her farewell message if our number's up. But if she does manage to do so amidst a chorus of screams, this will be it - 'Going to die soon. Life's too short for instant messages.'
A male teenager two seats away from me was blissfully oblivious that death doesn't only affect the old. But then again, that knowledge may not be important at all. He's evidently an ardent gamer boy who treats his phone as a lifeline Lights were continuously flashing against his face as he tried to outwit the game and move to the next level. His complimentary slice of cake and water remained untouched, his concentration solely on the game. He seemed to be travelling alone and as family members will usually wait for the arrival of their loved ones, he may have someone waiting for him too. Yet, family members will also have to wait around whenever there's a plane crash. Instead of embracing their loved ones in the brightly lit arrival hall, relatives will face the gory task of identifying the remains on some cold hard slabs. While his game is his world, he forgets that each passenger on an ill-fated flight is also someone's world. You can re-set a game but you can never return a life taken.
There's only a sense of relief that the plane landed without any mishap. Still, I couldn't shake off the feeling that any flight could be one's last, especially when irresponsible people get on board. It's a silly question but seriously, can't you be smart without the phone?
No comments:
Post a Comment