I know there is probably an easy way to adjust this but: I
do not enjoy the imposition on my life my phone has become. This is the least appealing aspect of the
move back to the UK, I think. Yes, the
least appealing, and it is the least appealing because it speaks to the very
heart of what I can see in this country since my return.
Wherever I go, my phone wants me to rate it. My phone reminds me that I am in the perfect
spot for a photo opportunity that I can upload and then share and describe my
experience of the place in which I was in the perfect spot to take the
photograph and then share it with everyone.
My phone asks me whether I would like to comment about the
location I am in. It wants to know how I
have found my time whilst perusing the shelves at the local Tesco, Waitrose,
Iceland. It wants to know how I found
wandering down the high street today and my proximity to many places that were
selling things I could have bought. Did
I enjoy my walk in close proximity to these places and the things they
sold? And if I have by chance gone into
one of these places, how did I rate my experience whilst in this place? Did the item I purchased meet the standard I
expected as I purchased the item and was the experience of purchasing the item
accompanied by a pleasant experience in my experiencing of the staff serving me
the product I was purchasing? And would
I like to take a photograph of the experience I was having and allow this
experience to be shared with other … other…what? People? Consumers? Users? Players?
When did this all start?
I freely admit to being a bit of a technophobe where it
comes to phones. I had an old phone that
allowed me to text and do emails and speak with people and do a bit of
internetting. The phone I have bought
since I have returned ostensibly does the same things but with a bigger screen
and a larger imprint on my trouser pocket.
It also, however, appears to be a sentient thing. It knows where I am all the time. It asks continuous questions about how I’m
finding my surroundings. It wants to
know my opinion on whether the shop I am in, the café I am in, the library I am
in, the pub I am in, is providing me with joy.
It wants me to rate everything. It
wants me to put a number or a “five stars” on everything. When did this all start?
We are being prompted to commodify our minute by minute
existence. We are being coaxed into
prioritising sharing of the moment rather than being in the moment. We are being asked for feedback on service
and quality that can affect others. I’m
new back, I had internet put in the flat – what did I think of the
service? I spoke with the electricity
company about power – how would I rate the efficiency of the person I spoke
with in dealing with my call? When did
this become a thing? When did this
become an adjunct to the service delivery?
Why is our focus being directed toward this instant hit gratification
provision for these companies? It’s
distracting, that’s why.
In all the buffeting I have received, not one question has
been substantive. I have not been asked
about the NHS. I have not been asked
about Council spending in light of the news that Council Tax may (will) rise. I have not been asked about the amount of dog
shit on the pavement or rubbish strewn everywhere. I have not been asked whether the housing
strategy of regional councils makes me think that community is being devalued
by commuter-belt building. But, most
frustratingly, in all the banality of the questions I have been asked, I STILL haven’t been asked whether I enjoy the new
taste of Marmite.
I have been asked, however, whether my flat-white was flat
enough, so that’s ok then… and could I rate it, and take a picture?
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