PHOTO ESSAY: It's a Small World - People and Their Phones
Smartphones. It’s a very interesting relationship we have with our little pocket computers. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not sure if I could miss my phone for a week. It’s become a tool, something I use every day. Too much? Maybe… but whatever. I was going over the photos of the past year. A year of traveling non stop. From India over South-East Asia to Australia and the US.
Ijen Volcano. Java, Indonesia.
It’s been a great adventure so far and I’ve learned a lot about cultures, people and traveling. One thing seems to be consistent though: the smartphone is ever present. It doesn’t matter where you go. People have smart phones and I saw them everywhere. I saw them when I went to Africa years ago and now in the past year, I didn’t visit a place without them.
Gold Coast, Australia.
Red Rock Canyon, United States.
That small device is what makes the world so damn small these days. The internet was a revolution but the smartphone seems to connect every single person on this planet. Well, maybe that’s a bit too far fetched but I guess we’ll see in ten years.
Ijen Volcano. Java, Indonesia.
It’s funny if you think about it. The smartphone in your pocket can connect you to almost anyone in the world. Do you remember how it was fifteen years ago? No smartphones. Or let’s say thirty years ago. No internet. It’s amazing how such a short period of time has turned the world into a big city.
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
In my archive of photos from the past year there are tons of photos where a smartphone is visible and I discovered even more after looking through them again. Even though it sometimes becomes a problem and addiction lures around the corner, I like to think that it connects us. It makes the world smaller and it’s something we all have in common. It transcends religion and culture. It’s something that can make us smarter and open minded if used properly.
Kratie, Cambodia.
I agree that we should spend less time looking at that little screen but, is it so bad as some people say? Is it the downfall of our youth and all that mumbo-jumbo? I think about it as a tool that eventually everyone will have. Every human being on the planet will be connected. I like to think that’s a good thing.
Pakse, Laos.
Anyway, wow, I just wanted to show some of the photos of people and their phones that I took in the past year. But hey, I’d like to know what you think about smartphones and the internet… I think it’s amazing what’s possible today but yeah, handle with care…