Formal Summary of Disconnected Urbanism

In the article Disconnected Urbanism, Paul Goldberger talks about how cell phones are intruding into every moment in every possible place. You can’t go to an urban place today without seeing someone on their cell phone. Cell phones are the reason why public places are not so much public anymore. Goldberger says that when you are in a specific place you should experience that place with your full attention, but that is almost impossible in today’s generation because cell phones are everywhere. Goldberger uses “When you are in a forest, you want to experience its woodsiness” as an example of this. It is becoming harder to enjoy these special places because if you are somewhere and part of your attention is drawn into your cell phone then you aren’t able to take in the full experience. Someone is not able to experience the full urban life if some if your attention is drawn into your cell phone.

Goldberger makes a great point when he says “You are either on the phone or carrying one, and the moment it rings you will be transported out of real space into a virtual realm.” It’s almost like you are in one place, but then again you aren’t. I think because people are so dependent on their cell phones public places are becoming less public, but also people themselves are becoming less social and more socially awkward. Goldberger makes many great points in this article, and I agree with all of them. It’s sad how this generation is so dependent on cell phones. Complaints about cell phone use in public places are almost as common as cell phones themselves. Technology has increased drastically over time, and it’s only going to get worse.

References:

Goldberger, Paul. “Disconnected Urbanism.” Reading Our World, Vol. II, Custom Ed for COCC. Robert Yagelski. Mason: Cengage Learning, 2009. 557-59. Print.