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Tuesday, May 13, 2008

The "relationship power" of the cellphone in Saudi Arabia

Today's New York Times has a front-page story about young people in Saudi Arabia. In this most conservative (and repressive) gender-segregated social system, the one tool for connecting young men and women is the cellphone. All a young woman has to to is turn on her phone's Bluetooth feature and within seconds it is bombarded with "love poems and photos of flowers" sent by nearby young men. Some men are even buying high-powered Bluetooth belts to extend their wooing range!

Recognizing the difference between (1st-chakra) texting and (2nd-chakra) voice communications, one girl told the Times reporter that online messaging was a somewhat safer tactic, in that "online he only sees your writing."

For more discussion of the 2nd-Chakra power of the telephone, see my related blog article (and comments) below. You can also read a chapter excerpt on the emotional power of the telephone from my book, Digital Dharma, at my website.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sounds like the woodpecker communication technique- the male pounds on the material that makes the loudest noise - metal roofing- to attract women. All relationships are karma. Repay, suffer, forgive, repent: ahh, the bliss of age and experience . Filip

Anonymous said...

People should read this.