Is mobile technology reducing our need to be self-reliant and interact with strangers almost entirely? It’s a relatively recent phenomenon that practically everyone in the US carries a phone with them. Now that the mobile web is starting to provide directions, location services and listings of every imaginable service, is it affecting our ability to be self-reliant and think on our feet?
Just imagine that your car breaks down on the side of the highway and you need some help. Once upon a time you would have to find a payphone or possibly even knock on a stranger’s door to ask them for help. If you needed gas, you would likely have had to walk to the nearest gas station to get help. Now you can just call for roadside assistance and they’ll come right to you.
Another common scenario could entail finding yourself a stranger in a strange place. You might have once found yourself hanging out in a hotel bar or wandering aimlessly to find something interesting. In fact, you may have had to ask a total stranger where to find the best sushi or, ohno, your way back to the safety of your hotel room.
Now you can use the mobile web to find out which clubs have live music or the best happy hour in town. Then you can punch up directions via your handy GPS receiver or Google Maps Mobile. You can have the best local cuisine at what was once the best-kept secret in the city and never have to talk to a single resident aside from ordering your food.
Do these things make us less able to think on our feet? Are we really experiencing the world around us when we live this way? How can we make sure that we stay attached to our culture and homes ina digital age?
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Dave,
I don’t really feel that the situations you describe reflect “self reliance.” You make a very valid point in that advances in mobile technology are making it easier to not have to rely on other “people” directly for information.
However, one thing to consider is that the value of the information received in these situations can be vastly improved by “social media.”
Take, for example, your example of finding a restaurant or bar. In the case of asking that lone stranger you find on the street, you are only getting a singular opinion. It may turn out to be terrible. Now, in the case of utilizing social media, on the average you can probably trust reviewers. The more people review something, the better chance you have that the median opinion is “fact.”
Of course there are all kinds of variables. Certain sites may attract certain people which lead to certain tastes becoming prevalent overall. However, I think you get my point.
I certainly don’t think of these mobile and other tools as making us less “self reliant.” I think they can help make us more adventurous than ever before. Instead of having to curl up and hide in the shell of our hotel, we now have a multitude of tools available for us to go out and seek entertainment that we can be reasonably assured of. This is definitely empowering technology!
I can see your point and definitely believe in the wisdom of crowds. However today you don’t generally need to rely on your interpersonal skills, charm, mechanic skills or quick wits to get you out of a jam.
Don’t get me wrong, I think the mobile web is just coming into it’s own, but relying too much on technology can be dangerous. If you count on always being able to get help, you may be less likely to prepare to go it alone.