The Nomadic Future?

Meandering around SYS Memorial Hall today I was reflecting upon the use, and my reliability, upon my mobile phone. It was serving the purpose not just as a phone and text service but also as my MP3, camera, plus full access to to the Internet at the touch of a button. This led me to contemplate mobiles in general and the technology that makes this possible: wireless communications.

The wireless world appears to be creating a new kind of individual, permanently connected via a myriad of gadgets. Going into New York Bagel and placing your green tea, no sugar, next to your mobile and ipod while opening a MacBook laptop to log onto their wireless connection to study for a TOEFL test is commonplace. People are becoming permanently connected, communicating constantly throughout the day and doing everything on the move. Friends, family, and work become meshed into one. Such a phenomenon can only increase as the technology improves and becomes more prevalent in society. This transformation is reminiscent of 'nomadism.' The differences being the nomads of old carried their livelihood with them. The technological nomads of today, however, take nothing with them. People and information are readily available wherever they go.

Wireless doesn't just make things easier, it has the power to completely transform, and impact, all aspects of society. For example. office spaces will become obsolete as people are no longer tied to one particular place, hence providing people with more freedom and autonomy. Dovetailed with this, the traditional rush hour becomes obsolete as people are constantly going too and fro places throughout the day. Places in themselves also seem to be changing. All areas are being redesigned for greater flexibility and multi-functionality on an ad-hoc basis. Offices, classrooms and places like libraries will maybe become a thing of the past.

Like all technology, it has both advantages and disadvantages. From what i can see, wireless communication creates a liberating force especially from the shackles of doing things in defined places. Yet on the flip side, people will always be on he move and never really anywhere. This technology has the power to bring friends and family closer together with almost constant connectivity whilst physically separated. Yet this comes at the expense of those outside this clique. Strangers and outsiders are less likely to become friends. Phone cameras have the power to record and catch injustices and brutality happening throughout the world. Just a look at recent examples in Myanmar and Tibet. However, it has the power to also turn everyone into the paparazzo. It has the ability to make people more autonomous in some respects yet more dependent in others. In short, wireless technology appears to bring about the oxymoron of the heaven of freedom with the hell of constant surveillance.