I have a cell phone for the first time in years. I like being able to talk to my family for ‘free’ (that is, for the cost of the monthly service) since we are on the same monopoly. When I travel, I like being able to update people who are trying to pick me up at the airport and who would otherwise be inconvenienced. I like how it reduces the psychological barrier to calling my friends, especially those who are spread around the country. If I’m thinking about Danielle, I can call and tell her I miss her while I’m walking between classes. Or if I have a Pro Tools meltdown in a recording session, I can call John to bail me out. It’s great! I think it strengthens my relationships and community.
On the other hand, it’s embarrassing to have my phone ring during a ‘live’ conversation. Sometimes I forget to turn the ringer off and even the vibrate function is audible. I wish it wasn’t. I want to be fully present with anyone I’m talking to. I know I can just keep it turned all the way off, but I do want to be available for my friends and family calling much of the time, and it’s been too much to keep track of so far. If I’m expecting an important call, I try to remember to tell anyone I’m in a conversation with that I may need to answer a call and that I’m sorry in advance. I don’t expect anyone else to behave like that, but I do sometimes wish that people didn’t just automatically answer their phones—that there was some commonly held etiquette to consider.
My friend Anna Fritz pays a lot of attention to social and environmental issues and has decided against having a cell phone because they use this substance called coltan, which is mostly mined in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the economics of which is perpetuating violent conflict there and displacing people. The mining process is also infringing on gorilla habitat. I haven’t looked into it much, but Wikipedia supports her claims. Ah, the moral ambiguity of leading a modern human life! It may be that if I witnessed what was going on in the DRC first hand, I would be so ashamed to be part of it that I would throw my phone away. It seems like that would just be a waste of this dearly-come-by resource, so I’ll keep it until I find out otherwise. Maybe there’s a business opportunity there—cell phones made with recycled coltan for the ethically sensitive.
Nathen's Miraculous Escape 
March 30, 2009 at 7:17 pm
interesting topic. I think those that righteously take the no-cell-phone route should also refrain from borowing or using their friend’s cells…at all….because it allows their friends to shoulder the moral and social burden, while they get the guilt-free benefit. This is not, in my opinion, a moral choice.
-gabe
March 30, 2009 at 11:33 pm
In regards to my last comment, I realize that its no different for me when I talk about how much I ride my bike. I still ultimately depend on friends and family for the use of cars when I need them.
-gabe
March 31, 2009 at 3:27 am
Good points, Gabe. One thing I’ve noticed since the rise of cell phones is that public pay phones are harder and harder to find. I once spent 30 minutes walking around Portland trying to find one. What I mean is, there are ways that the ubiquity of cell phones makes not having one–and not borrowing your friends’–extremely inconvenient.
About the biking/driving–I know what you mean. I have this project going where I post all of my driving miles (under ‘driving’ in my link-bar on the right) and I feel some pride about having driven only about 300 miles in the last six months, but then when I visit Ely in LA or the folks in JT I catch a lot of rides. I’ve probably been driven 150 miles or so by others in the same amount of time. I guess it does double the miles-per-gallon-per-person of the vehicle, at least, so maybe I can hold on to my pride…