Often times, people of older generations will say that today's teenagers are "glued to their phones" or "can't stay off their phones" or something of the like. While I don't necessarily disagree with these statements, I find cell phones to be particularly useful for so many different aspects of daily life that it would be much more difficult to live without a phone in my pocket. This opinion of mine does not help or harm my understanding of the message within Phone Story, but it does have me question the reasoning behind putting so much effort into a cause that I have trouble seeing the improvement.
Cell phones as they exist today are a pivotal part of most people's lives, whether that be communicating through social media, working on the go, or simply paying for lunch for you and a friend. Much of society today has become attached to these devices, which makes them even more necessary for the ease of daily life. While Michael Pineschi had the intention of making people aware of the devastating processes that occur throughout the life of a cell phone, I do not feel as though his efforts were worth the result that likely occurred. I find this issue to be similar to renewable energy sources in a way. Although new energy sources are being discovered and developed much more than cell phone safety, I can see a few parallels in their situations. Phone Story shows the cell phone life from creation to disposal, which shows many inhumane, disturbing, or disappointing facts. The same is true for the world consumption of fossil fuels and its effects on the environment and health of the population. However, both are viewed as a necessity in today's society, which they mostly are. The world has become a place that is reliant on cell phones to function at its most efficient, and fossil fuels are still the main power source. Therefore, even though people are either aware or made aware of the risks or unethical practices that are attached to these items or processes, we are forced to continue to use them for fear of collapse in productivity or efficiency. Cell phones may be causing workers to be treated poorly or causing them to experience health issues, but society is more concerned with the efficiency of their lives than they are with the health of the environment and others, and I don't see that fact changing easily.
One thing to think about is that phone story wasn't necessarily meant to be an effort to stop the use of cellphones, but to raise more awareness about the impact of our current culture and mindset revolving technology. Despite the simple, colorful graphics, Phone Story still left me feeling guilty about my own involvement as a consumer in the cellphone industry. While it is unlikely that Phone Story will be able to completely remedy the issues regarding phone production and recycling that it is proposing due to our increased reliance on technology and our trained preference for smarter, better technology, raising awareness could potentially help individuals make more conscientious choices or at least aware of the consequences of their purchase.
I had a similar line of thought when I first played the game. Engaging in a global society requires constant and immediate access to information, which cell phones provide. However, I believe we are forcing a goal onto the game; it does not aim to get rid of phones, or even disincentivize people from buying phones. Molleindustria states that Phone Story “attempts to provoke a critical reflection on its own technological platform” and urges players to “keep Phone Story on [their] device as a reminder of [their] impact.” This post is helping the game serve its purpose by instigating conversations around the future of devices and limitations of games as a method of raising public awareness. As a side …
While I was playing this game, I actually was shocked at how direct the message of how tragic the manufacturing of our smartphones can be. However, because I am not in the government, I cannot necessarily do anything to change this because I will not just stop using my phone. Essentially, the problem is too far removed form me. Although a gamified situation may be food for thought, approaching a government official or lobbyist with this game may not actually be effective. It is a striking game due to the facts and having to be the one catching the workers committing suicide, but it lacks emotional movement from the player. This game acts more as an educational tool to know…
I wonder if the reason why Phone Story has less of an effect is because of the gamification element. The method by which the disturbing information is delivered is a game and that element impacts how the information is processed. The player receives the information, but even the conscious knowledge that the information is correct does little to make the player care more in actuality. The apathy that comes as a result of gamification is a difficult hurdle to overcome and Phone Story struggles as a result. At some point, the player does not need more information about the horrific processes. At some point the player needs to be told why they should waste their precious mental energy and time…