Core Response #2 - Sabrina Sonner

 

In reading Margaret Morse’s article on television, freeways, and malls all as derealized spaces that create a mindset of distraction, I was curious to what extent the tenants she attributes to these spaces could be applied to the ever-presence of smart phones in many people’s lives today. One of the main things of which she writes is the way that these areas of distraction have a mix of concrete and non-concrete space and time, and how they exist as escape designed into everyday life (3). While smart phones lack the spatial specificity of television, freeways, and malls, it seemed like many of the same ideas of structuring free time and being able to be performed on autopilot apply to them – I know I’ve definitely lost track of time in the constant scroll of the various apps on my phones, assisted by the way that my phone can pull me in from anywhere. The cyclical structure of time created by the privatization and interiority of the forms she writes felt applicable for similar reasons.

 

Morse ends considering the different emphasis of values that the growth of freeways, television, and malls have had, creating the representation of a public sphere while more realistically separating folks from it. Likely because a phone is has versatile uses, I felt like this strongly resonated with ideas of social media creating dual senses of connection and isolation, but contrasted with some of the more immediate uses of a phone like texting or calling a friend. Continuing to consider the idea of private vs. public spheres and emphases through the lenses of the article, in my life it seems like phones continue the individualistic connections in a strong way (FaceTiming with family I couldn’t otherwise see, texting friends to keep in touch while we’re distant), but at a certain threshold becomes a more distant view of larger groups without feeling wholly connected. I’m hesitant to say they lack the capacity for this, and more that they lack the current usage in that direction.