mobile intrusion

Mobile phones are a great invention. Why? I'm not sure. I guess they opened up a new world of communication. We can be contacted at any time of the day or night anywhere, we happen to be. We can make phone calls any time of the day or night, wherever we happen to be. This could be a good thing if we used them for their intended purpose. I have one but I bought it for "emergencies" even though I haven't had an emergency that required a mobile phone yet. But that doesn't mean I won't in the future. My phone is capable of calling 000 if I come across someone requiring emergency medical assitance or police help but it also does a number of other things which are of no benefit to me at all. I have games, calendar, calculator, a selection of ear piercing ring tones, and some other things that I have never looked at or used. They're there if I need them and that puts my mind at ease. In our modern times one needs to be entertained at all times so if ever I find myself with nothing better to do I can spend the time learning about my phone.

Why do I go on so about mobile phones? Well, today Maya bought a new one. An early birthday present from her father and I that she absolutely had to have. This all started with the never ending wad of junk mail that finds its way to our mail box everyday. Big W had a "bling" phone in their latest catalogue. What was cool about this phone? It had stick on diamantes! That makes all the difference when one is looking for a piece of technology to enhance their lives. After many conversations (one sided of course. My side. She wasn't prepared to listen or even entertain what I had to say) about what she needed in a phone she was still determined to have this particular one. I asked her what it was she thought was necessary in a phone. The conversation went something like this:

Me: So what is it you think you need a phone to do?
Maya: It needs a camera and polyphonic ring tones.
Me: Oh so it doesn't matter whether or not it actually makes phone calls or can receive them?
Maya: Well yeah but it's got to be cool. I need a camera so I can take photos.
Me: of what?
Maya: My friends
Me: But isn't that why we have a camera?
Maya: You don't understand. (apparently I dont' understand anything) I'm sure when you were my age you had to have cool stuff too and the latest of everything.
Me: Yeah but we knew we wouldn't get them so we didn't bother to ask.
Maya: well it's different now. If you don't have cool stuff then people think you're pov and random. (what random means I have no idea)

So off we went to check out the phones. Of course an argument ensued in front of the cool and hip phone salesman who wasn't sure what to do. We ended up with one without a camera because it looked cool. It's a flip phone and has polyphonic ring and MP3 tones. Cool huh! We've spent the afternoon listening to the available tones that come with the phone. All are equally apalling. Our peace and quiet (when we get it) has been shattered by a small piece of technology that beeps and rings and makes all kinds of horrid sounds whenever a button is pressed while Maya scrolls through the available options. Then came the internet search for downloadable tones. She has $10 worth of free credit and wants to spend it on getting new tones. $6.60 for one. These things have been developed purely to encourage further spending on totally unnecesarry user pays options.

Living in a developed and wealthy country (even if individuals are not wealthy) means one is expected to have in ones possession certain societal necessities. Like mobile phones. If we lived in a developing country those with mobile phones, up to the minute fashions, shoes, and food to eat would be the exception rather than the rule. How hard it is to raise a teenager in an environment like ours. Nothing is ever good enough. I try hard to teach her about the evils of consumerism but I'm afraid I'm fighting a losing battle. How am I to survive when Henry becomes old enough to become aware of the push to be cool and HAVE.