EL336: Rodriguez

Leslie's pre-write to her presentation reminded me of my own struggles. I also found the assignment to write an essay defending oral culture rather difficult. I struggled to defend oral culture especially because we could not relate it to digital culture.

"I then began to think about the regular telephone and its uses. Honestly I never use a regular telephone!" -Leslie

My father and I both have cell phones, and we got rid of our land line well over a year ago. Sometimes people find it odd that we have no land line, but very rarely. Only when my cell phone dies and somebody suggested I use my house phone do they seem somewhat shocked I don't have that option.

Right now it's inconveniencing me. It's almost 3 in the morning, my boyfriend's car is stuck in my mother's driveway, and I forgot my cell phone there as well. Forgetting my cell phone is like forgetting a child to me. My brain was fried from spending the majority of my visit at moms working on case studies for Managing Public Relations and then pushing a large hunk of metal around in 17 degree weather for 40 minutes with no avail. When we got back here, we both realized we had no way of calling a tow company. Now I'm entrusting my precious Chevy Cobalt to him while he drives to his house to get money and use the phone-- he's been sans a cellular for quite some time. I consider it much more odd to not have a cell phone than a land line.

I agree with Leslie when she makes the point that cellular telephones differ from landlines. I tried to work telephones into the portion of exercise two when I spoke of technology and oral culture in my essay--but I couldn't get it to work without a long winded defense of my case. Landlines are indeed simply an extension of oral culture because they serve no other purpose other than the act of talking. Cell phones bring other forms of communication into play, such as text messaging and e-mailing. Most phones even have instant messaging applications. In essence, cell phones have become hand-held computers.

Questions to consider:

1. Are you more prone to use a cell phone to carry on long conversations (over 10 minutes) while at home?

Yes, because, as I mentioned I have no other option. Plus, it's less costly to talk long distance over a cell phone--especially (for me) if the person I'm reaching is a Verizon customer. Then it's completely free! Gotta love the network.

2 .How often do you use a land line telephone to communicate? Do you call friends or use it for business purposes only?

Never. Okay, rarely. I use one at my moms because my cell doesn't get service there. I used a landline in the pubs office during production as well!

3. Do you find that cell phones are a tool of convenience that has distanced you from the human interaction of oral culture?

I certainly feel like they're a tool of convenience, but not one that has distanced me from oral culture particularly. Sure I'd rather text a person about establishing a meeting time or place instead of calling them, but that's just because it IS more convenient for my busy lifestyle. If anything, cell phones connect me to people more than if I didn't own one.

4. How many times a day would you estimate that you use a cell phone? Landline?

Cell phone..I probably physically use it at least 30 times a day calling and texting combined. That's being lenient. I look at it WAY more than 30 times a day, though.

5. What was your life like in regard to communication prior to owing a cell phone? Would you describe it as simpler?

Yes, simpler I'm sure. Cell phones are just another bill payment, something to break, something that needs to charge and have the battery replaced eventually. I'm dependent on my cell phone now, and that's complicated. =)