Nature versus Media

It’s very hard to walk down the street and not see someone with plugs in their ears listening to their MP3 player. When walking to and from work, shopping, or exercising, the demand is there to listen to music, or some form of audio. However, will we lose the ability to appreciate natural sounds such as the waves crashing on the beach, or the sound of magpies' carolling, if we are so used to hearing electronic stimulation? Is the constant exposure to constructed noise a type of private noise pollution?

The iPhone Conundrum

From extreme marketing’s expectations that we have the latest and the best, I seem to be succumbing to the desire to purchase the new iPhone 3G. This is somewhat abhorrent to me because as previously stated in this blog, I am disdainful of the role of mobile phones in this day and age. I feel liberated and free when I cannot be contacted. I often get a fright when the phone rings, and as I am almost always online at home and at work, I feel somewhat justified in expecting others to email me (or at the worst phone me) should they need to contact me.

However, the appeal of the iPhone to me comes in its ability to work as a personal digital assistant. It can easily sync with my MacBook™ and the touch screen is far more appealing than the Treo’s tiny keyboard and clumsy stylus.

The best reason I can think of having a mobile phone is for safety. The second reason is for its function as a diary that I can take with me anywhere. The third reason for me would be being able to access the Internet when I do not have my laptop with me. But will this be worth the daily annoyance of checking whether I have my precious phone with me or not.