Comments on: Probe 2: “Jim Johnson”/Oct 22 Smart phones as Agents

By: Marie-Christine Lavoie

Thu, 22 Oct 2015 16:08:12 +0000

I have not! Thank you for the link it looks really interesting!

]]>

By: Marie-Christine Lavoie

Thu, 22 Oct 2015 16:05:11 +0000

That is such a good point. But i would amend it to sim card + SD card (to keep your files — unless its integrated like mine is and then well… you cannot do that).
What’s really interesting in my old HP IPAQ is that it has two memory slots: SD and Compact Card — I can remove these, carry around many cards and never have to worry about not having enough data storage space. I cannot imagine the amount of stuff refugees would put onto these – not only are phones good to keep in contact with others with you but they can store memories of their homes, their family, their passports or important files incase they lose them + all the stuff we all store (documents, films, music, conversations….).
I cannot imagine the amount of stuff an 18th century person would need to drag if they wanted to bring as much as a phone can hold — all their documents, books, games, frames, pictures, orchestra ….

]]>

By: Hilary Bergen

Thu, 22 Oct 2015 15:48:22 +0000

Have you seen Spike Jonze’s “her”? If not, it might interest you as it positions the smartphone (or OS) as one’s intimate companion or “better half,” and also engages with questions of speculative materialism:

]]>

By: Marie-Christine Lavoie

Thu, 22 Oct 2015 15:43:28 +0000

Thank you for the additional material! And I totally get you; i am always asking for my friends to put down their phones when we are together… with my partner, it is different: i have to tell him to check his phone and answer me because he does not keep him phone on him nor have a facebook account….

]]>

By: Alison Bowie

Thu, 22 Oct 2015 14:12:47 +0000

I am so glad you brought this up! There are two things that I thought of when I was reading this. One is this article by author-humourist David Sedaris talking about his Fitbit (http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/06/30/stepping-out-3). The way he talks about it as his master and the agency it has over him reminds me a lot of the points you bring up.

The second thing I thought of was the social implications and effects of smartphones. I am constantly having this disagreement at home with my partner about the lack of interaction because of his phone – to the point of actually having rules about where the phones can and cannot be and when. It is frustrating and upsetting that we have had to do that in the first place. But it is necessary to not lose touch with ourselves and each other. There were just too many nights sitting at the dinner table staring at the top of his head rather than being able to talk. And now that my mother has purchased her first iPhone, the same thing is happening with her. I found this set of photographs last week and they were really touching and eerie. I thought you might find them interesting as they remind us just how much we are affected by our smartphones by illustrating us without them: http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2015/oct/15/life-without-smartphones-in-pictures.

]]>

By: Kelly Grant

Thu, 22 Oct 2015 13:17:51 +0000

I was thinking about phones this week too. In relation to what people take with them as refugees. I was looking at all of the things you could ‘pack’ on to your phone, and then if need be, pull the sim card and sell the phone for money to get you further towards your destination. I was comparing this to what people would have taken with them in the 18thC to do the same things. I think I’d rather pack my phone.

Now, I really should go find it and plug it in so my husband doesn’t tease me later for walking around with a dead phone.

]]>