Performing in a Pageantry of Vanity

At the weekend one of my colleagues noticed that I still have an iPhone 3GS, which is maybe a bit odd since I'm a technology educator. However I have to say I don't use the phone much and in five and a half years it has basically done everything I wanted it to do.   Perhaps I'd like a better camera, but the one I have takes pretty OK photos with the Pro HDR app.  I send messages, I make phone calls, use it to navigate, use a multitude of apps, and I've read numerous books on the Kindle app on my phone while commuting or travelling.  I am concerned about the amount of eWaste found in landfills as people chuck away things that are basically still working but just "old" models, and have often been horrified by the number of people I see out with friends/family who are all sitting in their own little worlds on their own phones and not really talking to each other.

Last summer I was in a restaurant with my daughter and a family arrived and sat behind us.  For the first couple of minutes they were really loud and arguing with each other, then there was silence - and for the rest of the meal each of them was on their phone and didn't say another word.  Another phenomenon I've come to dislike is the over-used selfie.  So often you see people standing in front of beautiful sights but obscuring them in their photos by taking selfies.  At the weekend I went to a music festival and had to laugh to see the people standing with their backs to the band, taking selfies so that they and the band would appear in the same photo, which I guess would then be uploaded to Facebook or Instagram. However I have to say I do use social media a lot and often post pictures of quirky things I see in my day to day life in India (though NEVER selfies!) Today one of my lovely ex-colleagues posted the spoken word video by Prince Ea. I think it is an important message.  Over 11 million people have viewed it, but in case you are one of those who hasn't I'm posting it here. Enjoy!

Photo by Josh Davis