October 19-20, 2024: An AmericanStudier Tribute to the Phone

[75 years ago this week,operator-assisted toll dialing was introduced to make long-distance phone callsmuch easier. So this week I’ve AmericanStudied some classic phone calls inAmerican culture, leading up to this special tribute to what phones mean in myown 21st century life!]

As a sonwho has lived more than 550 miles away from his parents for more than half ofhis life, and as a Dad who has been apart from his sons about half the time forthe last twelve years or so, I’ve long relied on the telephone to help me stayconnected to the people I love most. But in the last few months, I’vesignificantly amplified that need: getting married to the love of my life whohappens to live thousands of miles away at the moment; and moving my older soninto college in a city more than a thousand miles away. Quite simply, if itweren’t for FaceTime and video calls, for voicenotes and texted memes, for allthe ways big and small that I can reach out to these favorite people and theycan reach out to me and we can stay connected despite the thousands of miles inbetween, I would be infinitely unhappier and less whole and less me. I’m wellaware of the challenges and problems that SmartPhones present, but there’sliterally nothing in our 21st century world for which I’m more grateful.

Next seriesstarts Monday,

Ben

PS. Whatdo you think?