Artifact #2 "William Powers: Hamlet's Blackberry"

I found William Powers's speech about his book very interesting and almost inspirational.  He begins by telling the audience how he was sitting on a bench in a park in Cambridge and istantly reached for his cell phone.  He began wondering why he did that and what exactly he was waiting for to come in.  He then looked around at everyone else in the park and he noticed that almost everyone was either talking on their phone or texting, everyone connected somehow.  Then he saw a girl walking without any electronic device, seemingly disconnected, and how she stood out almost.  This struck me as interesting because it's so true and not a lot of people even pay attention to it.  Everywhere you look, people are staring at screens, whether it be a computer, a cell phone, or an iPod.
We have gotten so used to being connected through technology, that it is now an oddity when we are disconnected from it.  It makes me wonder why people of this generation need constant communication and constant connectedness.  Why does it make people uncomfortable when they can't be instantly reached through their phone or Facebook, or vice versa?  Why can't people be okay just sitting in a park, just living in the moment instead of waiting for something to come in, waiting for a call or a text.  I think this is one thing that technology has dampered: living in the moment.  Even when someone is around a group of people they are still texting someone somewhere else, like they can't give their full attention to the people they're with.
However, I do agree with William Powers when he says that technology is a good thing and we should take advantage of it, we just need to be able to balance the use of technology and living in the present moment.  Powers and his family decided not to use the computer during the weekends, they turn off the modem Friday evening and don't turn it back on until Monday morning.  I thought this was a very good idea beacuse it gives them a chance to grow as a family.  It encourages face to face communication which both helps them grow closer and helps their communication skills.
Powers also said how it was awkward at first for people to call their family on the weekends instead texting or e-mailing.  I thought this was cool though because just 15 years ago, internet was not popular and texting didn't even exist.  I thought about how communication has changed so much in just the past decade.  Just 15 years ago, people would have to call landlines to reach people.  Today, you can reach someone no matter where they are, at any time.  Technology has really influenced communication and people's relationships in so many ways.