Signs of the times

When we all lived in a simpler age,

Before internet and smartphones were quite all the rage

I used to write letters, it’s true, by the score,

Along with thank-you notes, and Birthday greetings galore.

 

But now we have email, an incredible invention

Although perhaps it was not the original intention -

That we’d be overwhelmed with messages on such a scale,

That a glance at our inbox can make us turn pale.

 

But it’s free, we all thought! No more stamps, no more post,

Yet we overlooked the factor which mattered the most,

Because what is free has no value, so quality can be poor

And to meaningless communication we opened the door…

 

So to with our phone calls; where once they were measured,

Paid for by the minute so each one was treasured,

Whilst now they’re unlimited, no boundaries, no restraint

And unsolicited contact can lead to complaint.

Because who wants to be reachable anytime, anywhere?

When we’re pressed from all sides and have no time to spare

Why would we call someone up for a chat?

Surely, it’s better to use text messages for that?

 

And on the same subject, we have social media of course,

That tremendous development, a huge market-force

And we’re sharing our photos, our updates and more

We post from our home, from our work, from the store,

All the while commenting, reacting and sharing

What we’re eating or drinking or thinking or wearing.

 

Though there are certainly some, who do not think highly

Of concluding a sentence with an icon or smiley,

We mostly assume that it’s assuredly fine

To publish our day-to-day doings online.

And perhaps it is. Maybe it’s better to effuse of our glories

Via well-captured selfies and cute little stories?

Because in reality; we’re perhaps not all that keen

On revealing the true image behind each small screen…

 

And our photos too have met the same fate,

Where we used to take care, the right shot to create

Because new film and developing came with a cost

And we couldn’t afford any pics to be lost,

Now we just point and press, take multiple snaps

Embellish them with effects and filters perhaps

But many go unseen; though they come without price

The vast majority will not be seen twice.

Of course, we could print them, select just a few

But we’ve simply so many and oh so much to do…

 

And knowledge �" ‘twas once to acquire and master

But now the internet just gets us there faster.

Such a wealth of information so easily available

That hard work and learning become semi-replaceable.

It’s all free, it’s on hand, so easy to view,

With images, tips and videos too

And we find we trust less in our own expertise,

As we quietly check to see if Google agrees…

 

And above all we feel busy, our lives in fast forward,

Striving towards an unattainable reward.

Endless pressure, frustration and stress

Maybe we need to take time to assess,

How we took some of the value out of our lives

When we added the technology for which society strives.

Why something for nothing is never the best,

And that instead of advancing we might just have regressed.

 

Before it’s too late we might need to appraise

How this tech is determining the course of our days,

And whilst the entire system is not without merit

Is this really the legacy we wish our children to inherit?

And the issue which we ought conceivably to address

Is that we might have to slow down, if we wish to progress…

Reviews

[Chris Shaw]

Hello Vicki, while there have been great benefits to communication via the internet, it also has its drawbacks. I hate the fact that people think they have access to me 24 hours a day. I must be one of the few left who actually write letters and post them in a letterbox. Nothing like receiving a handwritten letter or a birthday card through the post. Your poem made me reflect on how we have moved on over the years. I appreciate rhyming poetry and enjoyed reading your work.

Chris