First it was the connected customer, the connected home and now the connected car – how much more connected can we be? In fact, most of us are so used to being connected that if we are not for any amount of time and for any reason we start to get a little tetchy.
Smokers who had to endure long flights without their fix were known to get so stressed that many disconnected smoke alarm systems in airplane toilets in the order to sneak a quick ‘drag’. Now it’s the ‘unconnected’ who are searching out airlines offering onboard wi-fi and cell coverage – at whatever the cost! There’s even those total desperadoes that ignore all the warnings and flick out of airplane mode under the blankets when other passengers are dozing. They want to join that elite band of ‘mile-high connecters’, but they dare not tell friends and relatives about their exploits.
The need to be connected is so strong that some completely disregard warnings about bill shock whilst roaming and surreptitiously turn on data roaming just to see what the weather is like back home, get the latest app or check their emails – even downloading an episode of their favorite TV series they fear missing. They then complain bitterly when they get the bill for supporting their habit.
This is the sickness of the ‘tensies’ decade. Psychiatrists will make fortunes from it, clinics will be set up to help rehabilitate habituals, ‘CA’ will attract bigger audiences than ‘AA’ and the few sane ones left will carry the torch leading the afflicted away from the light (or signal).
Does all this sound a little far-fetched to you? Having recently moved to an area that has intermittent cell coverage, intermittent internet access and intermittent satellite TV I can assure you that it is possible, no, likely to bring on a rather nasty case of ‘connectivitis’ accompanied by bouts of depression and rage that can, at times, lead to heavy drinking. Trust me.
Still don’t believe me? OK, turn off your phone, disconnect your wi-fi, pull the plug on the TV, the DVD player, the set-top box, toss the iPod, iPad, PC, even the satellite weather station and don’t forget to hide the car keys so you don’t sneak out to the garage for some secret connecting.
Now see how long you last!