The Low-Tech Times

ThisIsLondon published an interesting article earlier this month pointing out a new source of stress affecting millions of people with hi-tech dependencies:

Millions apparently suffer from “no mobile phobia” which has been given the name nomophobia.

They have become so dependent on their mobile that discovering it is out of charge or simply misplacing it sends stress levels soaring.

The Low-Tech Times recommends that people with a cell phone try to limit their use to emergencies and other special circumstances. 

After hiking Old Rag Mountain last Friday with my wife, we stopped in Sperryville for a late lunch at Burgers and Things.  I noticed that some zip-lock plastic bags full of water were attached high on the walls of the cafe.  When I inquired about the water bags, an employee said that they keep the flies out.  She continued to explain that flies have compound eyes and that when they see the bags full of water, they think it’s raining and therefore keep clear of the area.  The idea sounded a bit far-fetched to me; however, not a single fly could be found in the cafe.

What do you think of the science behind this theory?  Feel free to post your opinions and/or results of any experiments.

After The Low-Tech Times recently suggested to Robert Scoble that he cancel his facebook and twitter accounts, Rajesh left a very insightful comment:

…being low tech is not about eliminating technology altogether, but maintaining a pragmatic balance between internet-based and other solutions. Social networking is more easy to do by, for example, walking out the door and introducing yourself to your neighbour. I see that most Americans (especially in smaller towns and suburbs) hardly know anyone in their neighbourhood. Have we ignored real world social networks at the cost of developing online social networks?

While, I personally think that not knowing neighbors may more often be an urban/suburban phenomenon than a suburban/rural problem, I think Rajesh’s other points are spot on. Let us not forget about our own communities in this increasingly interconnected digital age. Instead of relying solely on social networking web sites, how about inviting your neighbor over for dinner?