Remember back in the day when dinner was for family time? It was that one time of the day when my parents, my sister and I would gather around the table and talk about our day. Obviously, I wasn't raised in a Norman Rockwell painting, but it did create some nice memories. As we grew up and evolved, so did technology, and pretty soon, Apple had a presence at our dinner table in the form of three (and now a complete set of 4) iPhones. At first we got in trouble for texting our friends at the table, but then Dad started doing it, so Mom was fighting the battle on her own.
As I have matured I know understand how truly irritating it is that these technological advancements have created a constant need to be connected-- to the point where I am checking my phone's Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram apps at least once an hour (or even more when boredom is a factor). But now when I eat with my parents, I can appreciate that time when I don't necessarily feel that I should be texting or socially communicating in some capacity.
Enter Ramen Noodles. MisoSoupDesign's creation of the "Ramen Bowl for iPhone Owners" has completely brought us over the line that separated us from complete technological oblivion. This has taken my sacred family dinner memories and essentially made them obsolete. Are we really that lonely/sad as a civilization now that the prospect of eating even one meal alone, unconnected, is completely impossible? It is definitely a worrisome idea... At least it comes in several color options: red, black or white. The sleek, modern design is also quite aesthetically pleasing.
The only silver lining of this situation is that even though businesses are doing their best to adapt to the changing technological landscape, human capital and their interactions, whether on an intra-company basis or with the customers and community through social means, are absolutely not becoming obsolete. This is comforting for me as I attempt to join the work force in the very near future. It is also good to know that as evolved and advanced technology may become, humans can never be replaced by phones, computers or social media platforms. Loneliness is a different issue, unfortunately (one could argue that Facebook is one of the worst inventions to ever happen in the history of dating), but success still comes back to those innate, seasoned human interactions that we all learn by sitting around our dinner tables with our families, sans iPhones. If you're lonely enough to buy this bowl, I would suggest investing in a dog instead.
Natalie,
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I completely agree! I remember the days of sitting down at the dinner table with my family too and absolutely no technology was allowed! But times are changing, I can only hope that future generations will also continue to enforce the same rules of "no technology" at the table like our families and families of past generations have! Let's hope people don't start ordering "Ramen Bowl's for iphone" as their new dinnerware!