Published In The Great North Arrow, June 1, 2024: Mr. Watson, Come Here. I Want To See You

- jim Young

“What are the three best methods of communication?

Telegraph, Telephone and Tell-a-Woman.” - anon

When Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876 it may have been the most significant of modern inventions at the time. For the first time, friends and neighbours that were more than just a backyard divided by a picket fence away were able to personally contact each other to share greetings, gossip and news in real time.

In 1928 the Bell Telephone Co. ran lines from Toronto to Montreal and by 1931 Canada led the world with more telephone calls per capita, a distinction Canada held for 11 consecutive years.  

When the Trans Canada Telephone was formed just a year later in 1932, phone calls could be made to any point in Canada over Canadian lines.

But just as with any new technology, there were naysayers that suggested the telephone was evil. Many people wouldn’t go near the telephone as they were afraid of getting an electrical shock. Others predicted it would aid criminal activities and lead to the loss of privacy. Some feared it would attract bolts of lightning if not evil spirits. Farmers and landowners were angered with telephone poles and lines that ran across their land. Churches referred to the telephone as an instrument of the devil.

While many of these fears were unfounded, some had merit that were eventually corrected and some remain a concern even today.

There is no convincing argument to be made that the telephone has not improved the world we live in today. The countless lives that have been saved thanks to the quick communication capabilities of the telephone when fire or disaster strikes, alone can make that case.

As new technology comes forward, sometimes our “old ways” of doing things get left behind. One of the casualties of the invention of the telephone that I miss the most was the gradual decline of the art of letter writing. As news and important events became available in a more timely fashion the need to send news by post slowly disappeared.

So when email became widespread by the 1990s, I embraced the new technology that I mistakenly assumed would revive the art of letter writing. 

Sadly the art of creating a formal letter for most was already long gone. 

Many people that were sending email in the 90s could not structure a full sentence in long hand; spelling and grammar was atrocious and there was seldom even time much less a perceived need for proper capitalization and punctuation.

A new language of hieroglyphics was born to replace the English language as I had known it. Acronyms such as BTW, LOL, BRB, ROTFL soon replaced the written word. Icons of smiley faces and hearts allowed people to express their feelings in print without having to think of the appropriate words to spell it out.

Still, I preferred email over the phone as it allowed me to compose my letters in a leisurely and thoughtful fashion before hitting the send button.

It seems too few people these days put enough thought into their communication before hitting the send button whether it be email, text or Facebook.

Even email as a form of communication seems to be on its way out now as texting has become the new standard. I think this is a backward step and email will remain my preferred method of contact for as long as it can sustain me.

About the only good thing I can say about texting is that the very first text message ever sent, simply read “Merry Christmas” - a message of hope offering good will unto others..

The telephone (be it landline or cell) still serves a useful purpose which allows us quick contact to others for urgent situations that require immediate attention. The problem is, people today can’t seem to determine what is urgent and what isn’t. In a world of instant gratification, EVERYTHING seems urgent.

I Just Called To Say, ‘I Love You’

Of course there’s still nothing inherently wrong with an occasional call just to say ‘Hi” and hear a friendly voice from a friend or loved one.

That aside, here’s how I rate the 3 most common methods of communication today.

TELEPHONE - INTRUSIVE

The telephone goes “RING, RING, RING. ANSWER ME NOW. I’M CALLING YOU AND I EXPECT YOU TO DROP EVERYTHING YOU’RE DOING FOR ME! NOW!”

EMAIL - PASSIVE

An incoming email will arrive with a soft, relaxing ping - if you happen to be close enough to your computer to hear it. The ping (or the Incoming “You Have Mail” notice when you see it) says, “Hi there. I don’t want to bother you if you’re doing something important, but whenever it’s convenient, I have a few things I’d like to tell you. When you’re done reading me, I look forward to the favour of your reply, when you’re up to it. You don’t have to reply right away… whenever you’re ready to reply is fine with me.”

TEXT - PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVE

“The text message also arrives with a soft, relaxing ping to trick you into thinking it’s not intrusive. But it is. Texting is kind of like a cross between the Telephone Call and the Email message. But for my part, I don’t like to refer to it as a compromise. The text message says, “Hi. Quick message. Get back to me when convenient. But I know you have your phone at your side so if I don’t hear back right away, I’ll text again!” 

When the phone was connected to the wall, we weren’t connected to our phones.

I sometimes wonder if we have chosen the lifestyle we live or if technology has predetermined how our lifestyle shall be?

Ironically, the very first message sent by the telephone supports two points I have made previously in this article.

1. “Mr. Watson, come here. I want to see you,” is a very intrusive command demanding immediate attention.

2. The story goes that Alexander Graham Bell had summoned his assistant after spilling battery acid on his leg thus also demonstrating the value of the telephone as a means of communication in an emergency situation.

Even so, in later years after inventing the telephone, Alexander Graham Bell himself refused to have one in his office as he felt it was an intrusion on his work.

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