Those Anti-Social Smartphones

An ironically popular theme in social media lately is “Smartphones have made people antisocial!”, often illustrated with a photo of a bunch of people who happen to be standing or sitting near each other, all heads-down, engrossed in whatever is happening on their phones. There is usually accompanying text, some sanctimonious, head-shaking statement about how “before smartphones, people used to actually talk to each other in public.”

Actually, they didn’t. Continue reading Those Anti-Social Smartphones

Tom Alter as Maulana Azad

I’ve been hoping for years to see this full show, but the right confluence of circumstances will have to occur. At least I have now seen some excerpts, thanks to Tom’s presence at the WOSA annual reunion I just attended in Baltimore.

Deirdré Straughan on Italy, India, the Internet, the world, and now Australia