Sunday, July 10, 2011

Modern slavery

In the old days during the slavery in the United States, slaves used to be fixed to a black iron ball with a chain and a shackle at the bottom, so that they couldn't run or escape the cotton fields. Their masters used to call this device ´Blackberry´ because it resembled that fruit due to the ball's irregular shape. That was the ancient symbol of slavery, and meant the wearer of such device would be forced to give up his own life to perish without escape in these fields. In modern times, new employees can not be tied to an iron ball so that they don't escape, instead, are given a ´Blackberry´ (or call it iPhone or any other smartphone for instance), this way they are chained to this wireless shackle, which they, like former slaves, can not put aside so they're bound to work all the time, this is the modern symbol of slavery.
Like many managers, directors and businessmen, i got one too, and just see how we're always glued to this little machine, like an addiction, in the bathroom, in the car, at the movies, during dinner, etc. There is no escape when the boss calls or when you receive a message. There is no way to say no or that you did not listen because this little gossip machine alerts when you got a call and did not answer, if you have messages to read or if you already read them, reminds you of your appointments, schedules, wakes you up, turns itself off and back on to wake you up and allows you to be dumbed for hours on the internet, while your wife/husband/girlfriend/boyfriend/children and whole family complains that you do not pay attention or don't have time for them.
And there you see them, new modern executives feel very important because their boss or their company gave them their first ´Blackberry´ to prevent them from escaping the work fields.