Week 9, Post 3: A Deal with the Devil

Page 319 of Chapter 24 discusses Postman's Faustian bargain. A Faustian bargain is "a deal with the devil; selling your soul for temporary earthly gain" (319). Postman says that with every new technology comes a price and we are essentially presented with a Faustian bargain. I can definitely see how this could be true. We have these wonderful devices called cell phones but we have paid dearly for them. We cannot be apart from our cell phones. They are everywhere with us, in class, at work, etc. Our friends and family are at our fingertips. We text hundreds of times a day, but at what cost? My parents used to get angry because I was so attached to my cell phone and texting that I would be texting under the table at the restaurant where we were having dinner. The cell phone has infringed on our personal and family time. Yes, it's done a great number of things for us. But at the same time, it's also caused a lot of harm. I asked my mom what they did before cell phones were invented. How could your date contact you if he had a flat tire while on his way to meet you at the movies? How could those brave souls during 9/11 call their families to tell them that their plane had been hijacked? What would we do without our cell phones? It's a high price to pay but I won't be giving mine up anytime soon.