Latest addition to the endangered species list: the busy signal
It just struck me today how long it's been since the last time I've heard a busy signal.
Between call waiting, voice mail, call hunting, etc., I can't recall the last time a phone basically told me "I'm busy now. Go away and try again later."
What has happened to us that we have to be so constantly in touch that we can't allow for the possibility of missing someone's attempt to get in touch with us?
I remember when cell phones first came out, and my employer wanting to get me one. I absolutely wanted to have nothing to do with it. It didn't take too many brains to anticipate how it would be used to intrude on what little free time I might have during the day, and certainly would be used to chase me down during my personal time for so-called "business reasons" that really didn't justify interrupting me outside of work hours.
In the end I was tagged with a pager (do they even exist anymore?), which while intrusive, people somehow were less inclined to call than a cell phone.
How times have changed! Nowadays, if I am parted from my cell phone for more than a few minutes I start to get anxious that I might be missing an important call or text message. So far I have drawn the line and not turned on constant internet access from the phone, but I suspect that given the right device that even this final barrier to needing to be constantly connected will finally fall.
I think I could survive the withdrawal of going into deep woods where no signal could reach me. I'm not so sure about many of the younger generation if they were put into that same situation.