I’m sitting in the waiting room at the Doctor’s office and realise that I’m not reading magazines anymore because I’m on my iPhone. Whilst on my iPhone I’m writing notes, answering emails-work related, Googling things I need to find, mapping directions to my next meeting, rechecking my inbox, reading tweets – work related again, BUT…. I’m not reading magazines, seeing the advertisements, or catching up on pop-culture whilst waiting.
I’m also not agitated or annoyed with the fact that I’ve been here waiting for over a half-hour though I was on-time for my appointment (now that I’ve typed that I’m a bit concerned about the time delay). Additionally, I’m writing this article, which wouldn’t have occurred otherwise in this time and space.
I do miss the advertisements (really) and the magazines but don’t want to stop what I’m doing. Im busy and my iPhone is assisting me to get things accomplished and has in fact inspired me to write this article.
In today’s media consumption competition my iPhone wins. But what about everyone else?
This is who else is here and what they are doing:
• Man 65+ reading paperback he brought with him
• Lady 50+ reading the Virgin Blue magazine from the selection available
• Lady late 30s rummaging in her bags and now staring out window
• Man 35ish filling in the obligatory forms
• Lady late 20s reading Cosmo with a New Idea magazine in the ready position
Me and my iPhone aren’t the norm! There isn’t another iPhone in site, nor another device for that matter. People are reading magazines, filling out forms, sniffling and sneezing, but not online!
The waiting room isn’t filled with iPads (good idea though), it has my beloved magazine, there for one and all to peruse….where the adverts get to live on and on for many to view, skip, leave the page open to, or ignore. But I must say the waiting is palatable for some more then others as the magazines are a bit old. Oh, it’s my turn…..gotta go and thanks to my iPhone I didn’t feel like I was waiting!
Very interesting, I was actually thinking about people always on a communication/information device of some kind all the time. Example a neighbor walks his dog, head down while working/talking/texting everytime I see him. In fact when I say hello I feel like I am interrupting him. I started to be worried if I did not have my cell phone with me.
Then I thought WAIT just walk the dog, listen to the leaves as the breeze goes through, and the birds-so many different sounds. JUST WALK AND ENJOY.
It is hard to not be captive and captivated by the availability of instant accessability, yet at the same time I do not want to always be there-here- I want alone time without the guilt-I’ve yet to figure it out, so I just take a walk around the block with our dog because my husband is home-or-the answer machine will pick up, or my cell will have the message waiting for me just as soon as I walk in the door.