Nov. 15 Socrates Cafe

Socrates Café
Wednesday, November 15, 2017
All political, economic and social points of view are welcomed and encouraged.
The only ground rule is that we will be polite to those opinions that differ from our own.

Please RSVP to show your interest in attending.

What is the Lasting Impact of the iPhone Era on Society?

The Battle of New Orleans, the last military engagement of the War of 1812, was fought from mid-December 1814 until January 18, 1815. It was a smashing American victory and kept a much larger British force from seizing New Orleans. It also made Major General Andrew Jackson into an iconic hero and helped propel him into the presidency in the election of 1828. However, unknown to the participants, the Treaty of Ghent, ending the war was signed on December 24. The communications of the period were so slow that it wasn’t until the battle was over that the combatants knew that a truce had been in effect while the fighting had continued.

For many of us who grew up with corded telephones that came in whatever color we wanted, so long as they were black, we have seen significant change occur. Now, with Caller ID we can decide whether or not to answer the phone, information we did not previously have. However, legislators in Pennsylvania, for example, were then faced with having to decide if individuals had a right to keep their name and numbers from being displayed and whether an individual had the right to block calls that did not display their name and numbers.

When we drive, our GPS, built into our cars or mobile phones have become a necessity – and probably kept more than one couple from arguing. The system is built on connection to satellites that measure the time delay to your vehicle and employs the same processes used for drone missile deployment.

Videos of police actions taken by members of the public with cell phones have been the catalyst for legal action as well as the initiation of riots that have destroyed property and threatened lives.

It is a dictum that change is usually something that occurs with at least some unforeseen impact. For example, how many people when the first crude television sets were sold could predict its importance in political campaigns?

What changes have occurred that we did not anticipate, or are yet to happen – and what will be the lasting impact, positive and negative, of the iPhone era on Society?

Robert M. Rubin