Any fiction I’ve written, here or elsewhere, is devoid of smartphones. A smartphone-using people are not just incapable of taking self improving action, they are incapable of taking any action. Most stories begin with the main character’s routine being interrupted, thrusting them into the conflict, giving them agency. A smartphone user never shows up in fiction because the user inherently lacks agency. Excellent essay.
So true. In the current piece I'm serializing, I even mention how the group, a cultural center, has an instagram account that no one bothers to maintain.
The smartphone effectively cuts us off from the past, which is a world where no one lives like we do.
I've tried to imagine a remake of Dial M for Murder with smartphones and it just doesn't work. A world with watches that need winding, phone booths that are occupied, etc. Surveillance cameras, computerized door locks. A key component (no pun) in the scheme is "The front door is never locked." London, 1948, no outside door lock at rich people's apartment house. Think of all the TV and movie plots that assume no one has a phone, or that someone has no cash.
I do see more people taking steps to reduce smartphone use. I've turned off almost all notifications and I keep color correction turned on to gray scale. There just might be hope after all
Any fiction I’ve written, here or elsewhere, is devoid of smartphones. A smartphone-using people are not just incapable of taking self improving action, they are incapable of taking any action. Most stories begin with the main character’s routine being interrupted, thrusting them into the conflict, giving them agency. A smartphone user never shows up in fiction because the user inherently lacks agency. Excellent essay.
Thank you!
So true. In the current piece I'm serializing, I even mention how the group, a cultural center, has an instagram account that no one bothers to maintain.
The smartphone effectively cuts us off from the past, which is a world where no one lives like we do.
I've tried to imagine a remake of Dial M for Murder with smartphones and it just doesn't work. A world with watches that need winding, phone booths that are occupied, etc. Surveillance cameras, computerized door locks. A key component (no pun) in the scheme is "The front door is never locked." London, 1948, no outside door lock at rich people's apartment house. Think of all the TV and movie plots that assume no one has a phone, or that someone has no cash.
This was quite thought-provoking,
I do see more people taking steps to reduce smartphone use. I've turned off almost all notifications and I keep color correction turned on to gray scale. There just might be hope after all
The only film worth watching where smartphones are salient is 'Her'.
I just started watching Severance yesterday and saw this in my feed lol, how did you turn off the notes feed btw?
Vibe coded a chrome extension. No way to turn it off in the app, so I mostly just keep the app off my phone
Too old to die young has smart phones.
I love the old MCM tech