We are a country obsessed with mobile phones. We've all got one (except Matt - nice one mate), and we are, in the mian, slaves to the phone. They are everywhere and nowadays too many people have become too dependant on them for my liking.
Admittedly the British obsession with mobile communication does have its plus points, like that I can get hold of my mates at any time, but on the flipside is that they can get hold of me too, which is definitely a bad thing if you ask me.
But probably the worst thing about the mobile revolution has got to be the misguided concept of free calls, and its inevitable flipside.
If you're on the same network as the majority of your friends or the same network as your best mate then free calls are obviously going to bring you closer to these particular people, knowing that you can call them at no extra expense, but the flip-side of this free-call bonanza is that cross-network communication costs a bloody fortune.
As a result, people are neglecting their mates on other networks, I know I have neglected Jay (mainly cos I never ring anyone though to be fair) since he changed to O2, and people don't generally form friendships across networks any more. It's like the term "Networking" has taken on a new meaning. But neglecting established friends because they are on another network sucks balls.
No-one uses their free calls to landlines straight as, from a social standpoint, the landline has slipped to a second place communication medium, as it's now seen to be a mediated medium where, to get through to your intended you run the risk of actually having to talk to someone else. I've spent many a long hour talkin to my friends mums and family members and it's the collest thing when they can pick the phone up and say "Bags it's Andy on the phone for you" These feelings are nearing extinction in the current climate of so-called personal mobile communication.
With the cost of calling your friends now a factor in whether or not you do actually ever call, the fact you can call them for free or for 50p a minute is mixing business with pleasure and this in my mind is a very bad thing indeed.
Whatever way you look at it, a friend becomes either valueless, worthless or too expensive, you lose.
So consider for a moment the value of true friendship, seperate the economics from the dynamic of social interaction. Leave your phone at home and come over to my house and you'll realise that friends should all be priceless.
