The Eye App

What would we do without our iPhone or smartphone? We use this not only to text or telephone. It was invented for that, mostly to call someone wherever you are. Just a mobile telephone. But nowadays we use it to take pictures, make videos, surf the internet or listen to music. With the smartphone a new generation of telephones started. You can download applications that help you in everyday life.

Some years ago you used to read books, had a map in your car and lots of recipe books in your kitchen. Now there is an app for all of these things. You can also write your shopping list, look for the next grocery store, book hotel rooms, use a flashligth and so on. So we have everything in one device. But what do we do without it? What is when it’s broken?

I had one girl in my class some years ago, who took her smartphones (she had two) everywhere she went, even under the shower. I think this is a huge addiction and luckily I am not one of that kind. I can go out without my smartphone – I don’t do it very often, but I have no problem with that. I mostly use it for calling someone, I also play some games while sitting on a train to college. I also have to admit that I like the navigation system, and that I sometimes listen to music.

Which apps do we really need and which are unnecessary?

But for the last thing I still prefer my mp3 player, I don’t like reading a book on a screen, and I don’t surf the internet – only sometimes for checking my mails. There are apps for everything now. I still wait until it is replacing something what we can’t imagine of – like our eyes. But I think my waiting's over now. And no, I am not talking about Google Glasses – the glasses which Google filled with lots of apps and presented this week. No, the app I mean does already exist – in some way.

Last week I listened to a discussion on a German radio station about concerts and what most people firstly do there: take their smartphones and start filming. The whole time, they film the concert and do not get any of the atmosphere. Later they put it on youtube – and when they watch and share the video, they firstly see what has happened. So they don’t see it with their own eyes, they see it with the camera of their phone. But in my mind, that’s not what I wanna have when I go to a concert. I wanna feel the atmosphere because this is unique and can’t be filmed. If I wanna see a bad quality video with also not that good sound, I can save the money for the concert and watch a video of someone else. So I really ask myself why it is so important for some guys to put everything on their phone. Just for a few clicks on youtube? Sometimes it is better to save some moments 'only' in your memory, your brain has more capacity than your phone and it can’t be broken that easily.

Would you film a concert or show you go to? What do you use your smartphone for? Do you think some people can live without it? Do you also use the ‘eye app’?

The same difference

This week we work on an audio project at college, which will be aired on the radio - after it's finished of course. It is the first time, that my classmates and I do this and I have to admit it makes lots of fun. Even though you listen to the radio every day, making your own radio contribution isn't that easy. Our prof wants us to show two perspectives of the goths - he wants to have something about them every semester, so this time it's the job of my group and me.

We asked people on the street what they think about goths and I was surprised to hear that almost all of them only said positive things. "Everyone should live the way they want to." We heard something like that all the time. Honestly I thought it would be differently, that they do not tolerate them or are simply confused because they think the goths don't believe in God and stuff like that.
I mean we are all different in some way and it would be boring if everyone of us would have the same opinion on everything. The goths are a group of people who stick out very much. Especially those who were really dressed all in black, having chains with skulls and so on. Some other people might be scared when they see them on the street and I think, if we would have been accompanied by a goth, they might had reacted differently. As well as when they wouldn't had to speak into a mic.

We also had an interview with a famous gothic singer, who talked about the changes of the scene in the past years. It was really interesting. I have to admit that I never thought about it this much. I mean, as a Christian, I believe that everyone has to choose what she prefers because everyone is unique. So I can't understand why people only like or not like someone because of the music she listens to, the way she is dressed, or anything like that. When someone thinks differently than I do on something, I want to know that, too, because it gives me another point of view on it. That's why I like the internet, and especially my blogger friends. To read what they have on their mind or what they think about something, helps me to see everything in another perspective.

Today we wrote down all the info we got for our contribution. We talked to our lecturer about it, and he gave us some advices to improve that. Tomorrow we will record our moderation, and we will also add the most important sentences of the guys we asked on the street about goths as well as our interview, and hopefully it will be interesting to listen to it.