Rough Transcript:
Okay so I’m hoping everyone got to watch some of my videos. For this entry I am going to do an audio post since well…Mushon made a point that if you make a video make it for a reason and I don’t think for this part you guys will need video aide. So I don’t know if you guys saw my second video where I interviewed people who have lived abroad and where the people talked about what new media is doing their cultures. What is happening here is not pertinent to just America. Mushon mentioned in my comment section, whenever there is new technology cultures need to develop to this new technology. However, right now it seems we are not developing and we are heading into a downward spiral. So what do we do about it?
In Japan, it is against the law to use a cell phone in a public bus. So I wonder, maybe we need laws since it seems that clearly parents are not teaching their children when it is appropriate to use this technology and I think it’s because they do not know themselves when it is okay and when it is not.
Now in the USA the first step toward regulating new technology was the ban of Cell phones in certain state in motor vehicles. “In the 2001 Transportation Statistics Annual Report distributed by the Bureau of Transportation it was reported that by 2001 nearly 120 million Americans subscribed to a cell phone service. This was a dramatic increase since ten years prior in 1991 when the cell phone subscription statistic was 7.6 million.”
• Talking with other passengers: 81%
• Playing with the radio or CD: 66%
• Eating or drinking: 49%
• Using a cell phone: 25%
Here is an example of the government taking action because we could not decide for ourselves when it is safe to use new media.
The government clearly can not decide for us when and what we should and should not be using everywhere (unless of course it could harm others). That being said I do believe private institutions should be able to make their own regulations. I believe that certain restaurants should have the power to tell people put there phones on silent (like in movie theatres) there could be a sign (maybe next to the no smoking one!)
Why is it that we can not decide for ourselves when it is and is not appropriate to use new technology? For example, people texting while walking. Shouldn’t it be common sense to not text while walking, that perhaps a car could hit you while you’re not looking? But it’s not.
Now I don’t want to limit this conversation to cell phones. I do think that Ipods like I mentioned in my first post are also an issue. In the 80s people used to walk with their boom boxes onto the subways until they were banished. I don’t think ipods should be banished from subways I just think people need to be more considerate when using them.
In conclusion a lot of the regulation of new technology too needs to become common sense the government can not regulate everything parents should teach their children when it is or is not appropriate by using old etiquette and trying to apply it to new technology. That being said I hope this helps you guys start thinking when you’re out next time!
Possibly Relevant Posts:
- The Conclusion on New Media and Etiquette (1) | Ashley
- New Technology’s effect in Israel, Brazil, Poland and Japan (1) | Ashley
- New Media Etiquette: Video with better quality (2) | Ashley
One Comment
I think the problem is not in the lack of regulations, but in the lack of manners. Many restaurants have signs prohibiting the use of cell phones, and you often find signs on cash registers that tell you not to be on your cell phone when ordering/paying. The problem is that people just disregard these rules and use cell phones anyway. Why are people so rude?