Those bloody bells

There are many irritating aspects of the modern world and I have commented on some of them before. I would like to add another – the recent obsession with the use of random sounds – beeps, whistles, clangs, hoots and so on. It is impossible to use any piece of equipment without being challenged by the noises it makes. The aim of the frequent beeps seems to be to ensure it is not ignored or abandoned. We have to be constantly aware of what the latest geegaw is doing for us, or with us.. Mobile phones demand our attention with squeaks and banal music; microwave ovens demand we immediately consume what they have prepared. Try leaving a car without turning off the lights or removing the keys from the ignition. The technologists who invent these machines assume we are stupid and cannot be trusted to turn them off when not in use.

Of course, if you are younger, up to date and tech savvy, you are used to being bullied by the equipment. You rely on your machines to wake you in the morning, to tell you when to eat, who and when someone is trying to contact you, when to take your pills, recharge your phone and perhaps your car, order your pre-made meals, send birthday and anniversary cards, etc etc. But you have become just a slave to the technology. Spontaneity has disappeared and pure memory is old-fashioned and superfluous.