The beeper might have been obsolete to the general public but they are still used by doctors and certain groups of people who don’t want direct contact with whoever is calling.
That might sound like a strange idea but I do see the merit of it. Sometimes not accessible might not be a bad thing.
I disagree that watches are absolete though. In fact, wrist watch is elevated in status since because it is not just a device that tells time, but it becomes a status symbol and fashion accessories.
Its functionality might have been overlooked in recent years, but the status that a wrist watch brings remains unchanllenged (referring to those $20K Rolex, Tag Hauer, etc.)
i like his comment that young people don’t wear watches. i stopped wearing a watch when i got my first pager. remember those devices? doctors used to use them. my pager had a digital clock in the display, so i carried it in my pocket – or usually clipped to my belt (terrible fashion accessory then and especially now) – instead of wearing a watch on my wrist. so uncomfortable, watches on wrists used to be!
i was talking to a group of students last year about not needing a watch anymore, and i pointed out that none of them had wrist-watches on. they chuckled. then i told them that i hadn’t had one since i had my first pager. looks of puzzlement: “pager? what’s a pager?” when i explained it to them, they though that it sounded like the most absurd item they had ever heard of. like, why on earth would anyone want someone to “beep” them to speak to them? talk about obsolete! i felt so old.
Shawn on Wristwatches, Beepers, and ‘Why on Earth?’ | Jim's iFacilitate Blog 12:34 pm on March 10, 2012 Permalink
[...] comment (3.9.12) on the iFacilitate video of the week featuring Ken Robinson is a reminder of how quickly [...]
Mei Wang 10:01 am on March 10, 2012 Permalink
The beeper might have been obsolete to the general public but they are still used by doctors and certain groups of people who don’t want direct contact with whoever is calling.
That might sound like a strange idea but I do see the merit of it. Sometimes not accessible might not be a bad thing.
I disagree that watches are absolete though. In fact, wrist watch is elevated in status since because it is not just a device that tells time, but it becomes a status symbol and fashion accessories.
Its functionality might have been overlooked in recent years, but the status that a wrist watch brings remains unchanllenged (referring to those $20K Rolex, Tag Hauer, etc.)
Shawn 11:32 pm on March 9, 2012 Permalink
i like his comment that young people don’t wear watches. i stopped wearing a watch when i got my first pager. remember those devices? doctors used to use them. my pager had a digital clock in the display, so i carried it in my pocket – or usually clipped to my belt (terrible fashion accessory then and especially now) – instead of wearing a watch on my wrist. so uncomfortable, watches on wrists used to be!
i was talking to a group of students last year about not needing a watch anymore, and i pointed out that none of them had wrist-watches on. they chuckled. then i told them that i hadn’t had one since i had my first pager. looks of puzzlement: “pager? what’s a pager?” when i explained it to them, they though that it sounded like the most absurd item they had ever heard of. like, why on earth would anyone want someone to “beep” them to speak to them? talk about obsolete! i felt so old.