Fast forward 500 years.  Anthropologists are at the site of an ancient burial site.  The site is on the ruins of what was an ancient building called a shopping mall.  Legend has it that the mall was destroyed when the aging Star Trek Enterprise crew crashed into it as they were docking back at their earth station.  All the remains were found clutching small devices with great ferocity.  The devices were white, pink, metallic silver, and all sorts of colors.  Some were bedazzled with jewels and others were encased in a protective cover.  Whatever these little boxes were, they had great importance to their owners.  

Anthropologists might be able to learn that the device that these poor souls were holding at their demise was an I-Phone, but it might be harder to understand how these small devices became to be such a vehicle for social connection and status.  The I-Phone is a great example of a pop culture artifact.  It speaks to the fact that technology affects social interaction and in turn the desire (need?) for social interaction drives the need for more and more technology.  This is one pop culture in action.   So what is pop culture?  It is the state of being in which everything around us (music, technology, movies, television, books, internet, and more) affects our lives.  And how we affect these things in return.  If affects everything from the way we talk, how we dress, and even what we eat!  

The I-Phone is also a great example of how pop culture seeps into the workplace.  As more and more people have I-phones or similar devices, the need to include this fact in strategies of professional communication has become more important than ever.  Whether communicating with a co-worker on the road, advertising to prospective customers, or even communicating with a physician about symptoms, I-phones are actively involved in the process. Because of this, it is important to use how this pop culture artifact can be of professional benefit.  

Over the new several weeks, I will be closely observing I-Phone users and blogging about what I learn! For much of my observation, I won’t have to travel much further than the bedroom next door.  My daughter is what you might call an I-phone addict!  Hopefully by the end of this class, I will be able to answer the question…I-Phone – Friend or Foe???   If you are an I-Phone user, be sure to tell me what you think about your I-phone (or other similar device) and what it means to you!