by David Payne

Created on: December 20, 2010   Last Updated: December 24, 2010

One could argue that not only are we drowning in excess, but in fact fully submerged in an excessive materialistic culture that shows no signs of dissipating. The modern world at least stands guilty of this gluttonous behavior that may possibly send man over the brink into oblivion. Viewing some of the aspects of modern life gives us a clearer picture as to whether we are indeed guilty of excess living.

News was once digested by the daily reading of a national paper, or by catching the main events on television. This news took up a small part of the day in general. Main topical points were consumed and the necessary information processed. It kept the audience in tune with current events and local topics. Fast forward to the current climate where news is viewed mostly in a digital format. A constant stream of news with little editorial content is accessible to anyone with an Internet connection. Celebrity gossip and hearsay takes precedence over factual content and useful knowledge. The world has literally become over saturated with any single piece of information that was not available the day before. People more than ever before are obsessed with who did what, and where they did it. This surely is excess in its most vulgar form. Society is being conditioned to place gossip and aesthetics before depth and content.

Within this communication frame the making and receiving of phone calls has turned into a global phenomenon. Rewinding just a few decades shows a more simple life. Phone calls while obtrusive to some had become a normal feature in most homes. Arrangements and reunions were conducted on this brilliant device. Yet for the most part we showed restraint when using this piece of technology. You bought your phone for the house and rarely upgraded it. And then came the mobile phone and with all its swagger. No one can doubt the effect that this device has had upon the world. As an emergency device there really is little to beat it as a useful piece of tech. Sadly this is the last thing people use mobile phones for. With the contracts that are now available on phones, calls and text messages is something which nearly everyone makes use of multiple times in any one day. Standing waiting for something is enough of an excuse to bust out the phone and punch out random thoughts that gets sent to friends near and far. It does not stop there though. Within a year or two the current phone of choice is seen as out of date. Leading to a purchasing of the next best

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