Why I am Not Going to Buy a Cellphone

Call me old fashioned, but I still have not given into the cellphone trend. I have been called a hippy, felt pressure from friends who love to text, I've even felt looked down upon by co-workers and employers for not being responsible and getting a cellphone - the supposedly necessary tool for any job. (That and a vehicle of some sort.) The best cellphone related instance happened the other week when I was setting up the land-line for my new apartment. The customer service representative wanted my number in case they needed to contact me. A problem arose when I didn't have one to give him, it could have been why I was talking to him in the first place. He asked if I had a cellphone or anything. I said no and he was most surprised. If it wasn't for the fact that I could give him the number of the family I was staying with, I maybe wouldn't have gotten a phone line.

In 1987, Wendell Berry wrote a provocative and challenging essay entitled "Why I am Not Going to Buy a Computer" (please read). It was published in his collection of essays, What Are People For? in 1990. The essay makes the point that Berry really has no need to buy a computer and that if he were to purchase one, he would be supporting a whole slew of issues surrounding the making, usage, and disposal of a computer. I have realized that many of Berry's arguments for not owning a computer are similar to my own arguments for not owning a cellphone.

Berry argues, "The new tool should be cheaper than the one it replaces." This is too easy to agree with, especially being a low income student.

A land-line costs me approximately $20 a month plus an additional $10 every few months for a long distance card, (and yes the plastic card you get can be recycled). I am not sure how much the phone itself costs as my roommate already had it in possession, but you can pick one up at your local thrift store for under $5. What's more is that the phone plan can be split between the occupants of the house.

Cellphone plans usually start at about $25 a month for very basic service with limited minutes, additional minutes costing upwards of 35¢ and this of course does not include the ridiculous long distance rates. The cheapest cellphone I was able to find was $19.99. All of this, you have to pay yourself, unless you are able to split a cellphone 4 ways. (Please note, prices are based off of Rogers Wireless website - the cellphone service provider most of my friends use).

Berry goes on and says, "[the tool] should do work that is clearly and demonstrably better than the one it replaces." In other words, a cellphone should work better than a land-line.

The argument from most of my friends is that I would be easier to contact, therefore making me more social, if I only had a cellphone. However, I would say that already, I'm a pretty social guy not to mention very reachable. You can first try my land line and if I'm not home, it usually indicates that I'm busy doing something and probably won't be able to hang out. On the other hand, I may just be on my way back from picking up groceries and would love to go catch a movie, or whatever. If you leave a message on my answering machine or with one of my roommates, I'll get back to you right away. Failing all of that, we live in the generation of Facebook, MSN, and email, (all of which I sometimes consider maybe being a bit excessive, but that's another blog post).

Another argument Berry makes is the argument of environmental sensitivity. He points out, "It is well understood that technological innovation always requires the discarding of the old 'model.'" For example, if my roommates and I were to all have cellphones, that would make 4 cellphones. These 4 cellphones would be doing the job of one land-line, making the old plug into the wall phone obsolete and on a direct flight to the already overfilled land where we dump our obsolete technology and plastic packaging it came in. In a year or so, the battery dies on our cellphone and we decide that instead of buying a new battery - which costs half the price of a new cellphone - we go out and buy the new cellphone that can play our music, take pictures and give us directions in the car. Now we can send our old cellphones, mp3 players, cameras and GPS systems to that same overfilled dump, wherever that dump is. Also, with cellphones, we need new cell towers which means clearing another section of forest so we can put up a cell tower which emit microwaves and RF frequencies that mess with the bees sense of direction.

Here is where I receive the most criticism for my argument against cell phones. Research suggest that a recent and sudden decrease in the bee population is a result from cellphones. Don't believe me? Check out this article from The London Independent. "And so what?" you say, "Less bee stings, no more honey? Oh no." No it's much worse than that. Bees are important because the pollinate a large portion of our crops and plants. We are talking about major food shortages. Einstein is quoted in the above article saying that if the bees were to disappear "man would have only four years of life left."

What about cancer from cell phones? There has been some research done pointing to cellphones as a leading cause for brain tumors and brain damage. However, this article from the National Cancer Institute points out that it is hard to collect any hard evidence that cellphones are any significant cause of cancer simply because use of cellphones is fairly recent. My argument is this; We, at a point in recent history, thought asbestos and #7 Nalgenes were benign and harmless. Unfortunately, we were very wrong. Should we really be using something if we don't fully know it's effects on us?

Finally, and probably my most favorite argument, Berry says that new technology "should not replace or disrupt anything good that already exists, and this includes family and community relationships." Sorry for using the over used cliché, but if I had a dime for every conversation I have had with a friend that was interrupted by a cellphone call or text, I wouldn't be taking out loans to pay for school. How many experiences have you had where you are having a conversation with someone and they start texting someone. My argument is that cellphones disrupt relationships. Furthermore, they distance us from people. When we need to talk to someone, instead of walking upstairs, outside, next door, or wherever, we call them on their cell. Isn't nice to know that your very being and presence has been replaced by none other than an overpriced piece of circuitry?

And this why I am not going to buy a cellphone.