I have three main items of technology with me this trip. Firstly is my netbook – which is now two years old and honestly has seen better days. It still runs though and the size is perfect for me as a traveller – people told me, even two years ago – that I should get a tablet but when I am a writer/blogger, I need a normal keyboard! Secondly is my iTouch, predominantly for music on previous occasions but I’m finding having it connected to whatever wi-fi source around has been wonderful. I have a mobile phone with me, mostly for emergencies/basic texting to my mum. It was supposed to be able to connect to the web but it isn’t working and I’ve decided that maybe the universe has decided to look after me and make it impossible to rack up data charges!
Since arriving in the UK, I’ve hardly used my phone. It’s expensive to use, even having bought an international SIM card, so it really isn’t practical to be used as I would in my normal life. I don’t miss my mobile phone for its regular phone technology. There isn’t anyone who I text regularly or speak to on the phone. What I do miss it for is the on-the-go access to the internet. This is for two reasons – both social media and general internet access.
I didn’t even realise that I was as dependant upon social media as I am. Over the last six months in my 'normal' life, I’ve found myself increasingly using my mobile phone to access my Twitter and Facebook, to quickly check in, see what is going on, without having to completely log in via a PC. Not having that now makes me feel almost like I’m quitting smoking or some other habit – I’m eating more lollies/sweets/candies (depending on your dialect of English) because my hands need something to do! While travelling, it feels even more necessary to be able to keep in touch via social media. That craving to see what people are up to. There isn’t a huge amount of normalcy and I think for me, social media is almost like a security blanket. It was really hard while in London, especially when surrounded by three friends who could so easily pop online as they desired to quickly Tweet, Facebook and check their feeds. I quite genuinely felt jittery at points from the withdrawal.
Even general access on-the-go is something I miss – if I get lost and don’t have a map of that part of town, or want to look up the closest location of a particular store. You might say ‘just ask someone!’ but I’m a quiet traveller – prefer to work it out myself than ask for guidance. Think like a man who is lost on the road and refuses to pull over and ask for directions. Modern life is all about convenience – being able to jump on Google and find out anything that you may desire, and being able to do this from anywhere. To an extent, this takes away the spontaneity of travel. It’s no different to people who do the Lonely Planet Tour of any city or town – checking off all the landmarks and restaurants. However one could argue that modern technology makes certain mundane research elements simpler which allows for more time to enjoy the wonderful things of travel.
Don’t get me wrong – you read right, I have my iTouch and Netbook with me. From here where I leave my 'holiday' and depart my friends house in Edinburgh, I will only book into hostels that have free wi-fi unless there is no such option available. I’ve found myself pulling out my iTouch in public, outside Starbucks and fast food outlets, trying to snap up a snippet of wi-fi to allow me to quickly scroll down my feed and see if anything may have changed in the last two hours. I’m writing this entry in Edinburgh, where I have wi-fi in my friends house, and I have flicked back to Google Chrome at least twice to take a glance, ‘Just in case.’
I tell myself that this is a learning experience – to teach me to be more resourceful, to spend less time relying on the internet and to live in the real world instead. Maybe this time things will be different, but I remember in both ’08 and ’10, returning back to ‘real life’ after my travelling simply thrust me further into the world of internet technology. In a strange, ironic way, the curiosity of the traveller is congruent with the internet – the traveller wants to explore the world, and the internet and other modern conveniences make the world an easier, more accessible place. I think the key is finding the balance – when you’re spending too much time reading websites about the markets and museums and food and culture that is just outside your hostel door to actually experience any of it, then it’s time to acknowledge that the addiction has taken a step too far.
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