Combating the Consumerisation of IT and Anti-Social Behaviour

I’ve had a number of conversations and experiences recently which exemplify the profound impact of tech on everyday / family life and the extent to which consumer tech products have pervaded the required fields of our functional being.

So, the first episode of electronic encroachment to note was observed last night in Pizza Express, Teddington. A family of five, two parents, three children came for a nice night out after a hard week.

And why wouldn’t they? After all, there was no threat of misbehaving children destroying this quality time. 

They were far too busy tapping away on their own individual i-Pads!

As a kid who admittedly spent large portions of time with his own nose in a Gameboy Colour and still has an unhealthily obsessive relationship with his Blackberry, I can’t talk. However, transforming the family dinner table into a library of sorts does seem a little strange to me.

It in fact sparked conversation at our table regarding the children accompanying us. Parents continue to make bold claims about how their children will never be exposed to video games until they are old enough to read and write – but in 2012 I’d suggest that this is now a pipe dream.

Console, mobile and PC gaming is like it or not becoming a ‘need’ rather than a ‘want’, Subbutteo is out and FIFA is in – the possibilities are endless, and let’s face it, it’s just more fun!

One man I spoke to on this topic last night over an introductory beer told me that in these times of financial austerity he found staying in, having a few drinks, and connecting to his mates on Xbox live or the PS3 network more enjoyable than going on a cash-guzzling night out. Fair call!

I do despair of the generation of FIFA / Call of Duty wonderkids who have never kicked a football or tackled an assault course in their lives and never will. It’s only conducive to a falsified understanding of life.

Besides that trend, I think consumer tech / gaming products have just taken away our ability to sit around without ‘doing something’ – be it play a game, text a friend, check social media websites, anything but stare into space – good thing!

I’ll part with this morning’s final affair – a sitcom like scenario of epic irony. I sit on a train, breathless, late as always, too busy packing my laptop, phone, i-Pod, hard drive, chargers, etc, next to a woman who is drinking from a can of Strongbow (10:45am).

At the next stop, a couple join us in the section, and immediately follow my lead in immersing themselves in their mobile phones. Half way towards our destination – the woman pipes up.

“It’s like you’ve all got cigarettes. You’ve got a pack, you’ve got a pack and you’ve got a pack. But with your phones! It’s like you’re addicted. I think it’s really strange, I don’t have one, I won’t buy one.”

Awkward silence ensued, the kind that only a young Midlander with limited social boundaries can break.

“It’s bad isn’t it?” I said diplomatically. “But to be fair, you’re drinking a can of Strongbow.”

It wasn’t the wittiest comment, nor was it delivered with a great deal of finesse – but I think the rest of the carriage was more sold by my argument, albeit lacklustre.

After all, checking ones phone, playing a game, sending out a tweet can certainly become an addiction of sorts. But when reprimanded by a woman clearly alcohol dependent to a harmful level – it was a very bitter pill to swallow.