April 16, 2019: Devices are for dummies * Letter to the Editor * OPINION * Del Rio News-Herald

Letter to the Editor,

Devices are for Dummies

Sometime in the near future, there will be an “Electronic Device-free” campaign. Will this campaign be any more successful than its predecessors: “anti-smoking”, “buckle-up”, “don’t drink and drive” and “litter-free”? Probably not. None of these campaigns were successful until they were enforced by the law and offenders were slapped with steep fines and penalties.

The physical and psychological effects of electronic devices have been studied worldwide and the consensus among the scientific community is that electronic devices are harmful to our health and wellbeing. 

We will be inundated with a slew of public service announcements averting us to the dangers of electronic devices and these might be some of the campaigns that we will be presented with:

“Don’t be a Dummy, like Dave the Dummy” This spot will present Dave who is a robot, with the implication that we too will turn into a robotic machine walking with our devices and talking to our devices. No one wants to be a dummy; we all want to be smarter and more intelligent than robotic machines.

“Dump your device. Go device-free” This spot will flaunt all the “cool” people throwing their devices into a trashcan and all the “uncool” people walking around with their “uncool” devices.

“Communicate face-to-face not screen-to-screen” This spot will display “cool” people living life in reality and “uncool” people going through life in their fantasy-world of make-believe.

“See the world around you” This spot will pan across people looking up from their devices and beholding the beauty and splendor of nature.

“Signs: Electronic Device-free zones” This spot will showcase all the “cool” people congregating without their devices. They are shown conversing and smiling and laughing and having a good time with other people. Then it will scan over all the “uncool” people who are isolated and lonely, staring at their devices, sad and depressed, longingly looking at what they could be experiencing if they just let go of their devices and join the fun group who live life to its fullest without their devices.

Marian Casillas, Ed.D.

Del Rio, Texas