ESU Professor Presents: OK, Start TalkingDave Eggers ‘The Circle’ Influences Discussion

Pruim’s presentation concludes the One Book, One Campus discussions for the semester. Photo Credit / Edita Bardhi Pruim’s presentation concludes the One Book, One Campus discussions for the semester. Photo Credit / Edita Bardhi
Pruim’s presentation concludes the One Book, One Campus discussions for the semester. Photo Credit / Edita Bardhi
Pruim’s presentation concludes the One Book, One Campus discussions for the semester.
Photo Credit / Edita Bardhi

By Edita Bardhi
Staff Writer

Dr. Peter Pruim, ESU philosophy professor and head of the One Book committee, gave a presentation, “OK, Start Talking!” last Wednesday at Beers Lecture Hall.

Through the presentation, Pruim conducted a visual aspect of what conversations would be like if cellphones were to be put away.

“We all have our phones. They are an incredible technology and a first impression can be that it’s all good.

But a critic I once heard defined it as a person who says that ‘of the things we thought we liked on second thought we’re not as sure,’” said Pruim.

As students listened to Pruim’s speech, they caught a glimpse of the cover page.

With only three photos and a title, they tried to interpret its meaning.

Not long after did Pruim notify that he specifically chose these images because they were accurate.

It has come to be that little consideration is placed upon making plans, giving one’s full attention to another and simply taking a break from the device.

Pruim discussed people do not realize how much they rely on their cellphones to talk.

The comparison made upon Pruim’s photos illustrated how without cellphones two or more people are more likely to be engaged in a conversation.

By grabbing his phone from his pocket, Pruim demonstrated the likelihood of a person having their cellphone with them on hang outs.

Pruim also mentioned the cellphone’s remarkableness.

“It’s one device that does everything,” said Pruim. Accordingly, there is a great urge to have our cellphone handy. We also have a constant tendency to check it.

“The average person looks at their phone 150 times a day. That means about every six minutes our eyes go to our phones. And that is just on the work days. From the time you get up to the time you fall asleep about every six minutes you leave the real world for the virtual moment of the phone,” said Pruim.

As part of his speech, Pruim explained that many become addicted to the cellphone because we become addicted to dopamine.

“It’s a certain hormone that is released in the body. It is what makes us feel good when certain things happen,” said Pruim.

He added, “Dopamine is a substance that is released not when you succeed but rather, when you take a chance. So, if you say, ‘I am going to check my phone,’ you right then get this little shot of dopamine.”

After hearing a few dopamine examples, students began to recognize, as well as relate, to the substance.

Another critical issue that’s been highly approached is of people’s comfortableness with texting.

Many admire texting for the opportunity given to go back and erase or edit a message.

“One aspect of our phone connections: you can plan what you are going to say. You can get it just right before you hit send,” said Pruim.

“As opposed to texting, when people share something as simple as a smile face-to-face they find mutuality,” shared Pruim.

“What has happened to our face-to-face conversations that we still have in a world that so many people say that they would rather text than talk?” asked Pruim.

Email Edita at:
ebardhi@live.esu.edu