Original air date: January 7, 2015
I’m sure many of us can remember a time when we either made our own time capsule or the elementary school that we attended made a “Class of ____” time capsule. If you’ve never actually made one, then you’ve definitely heard of it. The video above is a clip from CBS This Morning in 2015, detailing the opening of the Boston time capsule from 1795. Over two hundred years later we get to see a part of a world and society that we have pieced together over the years.
Most of the contents are what you would expect to find in a time capsule: newspapers, coins, mementos of a great leader (Washington), and an inscription of who buried the box. The contents were on display for a short while before being buried again. After the segment, the co-hosts discussed whether some items from the 21st century should be put in the box before sealing and reburying again. Gayle King’s response to the question was interesting, “Put an iPhone in there.”
It would make the most sense, wouldn’t it? If someone were to ask me what I would put in a time capsule, I would say an iPhone (or a smartphone) as well. I think most people would agree that their smartphone is one of the most important materialistic items in their lives, and so much of our life is spent on it. It’s ingrained in us, attached at the hip, producing anxiety when it goes missing.
Adam Greenfield wrote a piece called Radical Technologies, and an excerpt about the sociology of smartphones was published on Longreads.com. Greenfield’s analysis of the smartphone’s impact on society is multi-faceted, but one of the interesting points he makes is how the smartphone has replaced many other objects that we used to carry around with us. We can use our phones to get directions, call, listen to music, watch videos/shows/movies, read the news, take pictures, tell time, store boarding passes, and even provide payment.
“This single platform swallowed most all the other things people once had floating around in their pockets and purses, and in so doing it became something else entirely.”
So in thinking of the question first asked, what would we put in a time capsule? Let’s compare to what was found in the Boston time capsule to start. We can certainly put in a local, state, or national newspaper but they are not the only sources of news, and some of these productions are moving to fully online capabilities. If we wanted to put in an article from NPR or ABC news, I guess we could print it out? Better just leave the tab open in Safari.
In terms of money, we have coins and bills that can easily be added. But a large portion of the US population uses debit or credit cards as payment, and a growing number of Apple/Samsung/Google pay users as well. So we can throw in the coins, bills, and a credit card, but the phone works just as well.
Next up, mementos of a great leader. If we think of great leaders in the US, we generally think of presidents. As far as I know, there have not been any mint issues of presidential coins for some time, or any sort of paraphernalia of that nature. If we want to see or relive special moments of a presidency, there is always a clip on YouTube, a viral meme, or in the case of our current President, a Twitter account. We’ll make sure the Twitter app is installed on the iPhone.
Other items that didn’t exist in 1795 that we would include:
Photos. This is going to be similar to newspaper because I could print out the pictures, but why do that when it’s already in the camera roll of my phone?
Maps. Hey Siri? Can you take me to Brett’s house? No need for a map when Siri can speak directions to you.
Music. I’ll be sure to create a “Hottest Jams of 2020” playlist on Spotify.
Ticket stubs/boarding passes. I still have all of my boarding passes from my various trips in the Wallet app on my phone since that is the preferred method of most airlines nowadays. (And it automatically updates the times of departure? Thank you).
Telling time/date. It’s right on the lock screen. Just tap the home button. (I have an iPhone 8 Plus which still has the home button, leave me alone.)
Connecting with people. Well, this is too vague. Calling? FaceTiming? Instagram? Facebook? Twitter? Snapchat?Text messaging? Let’s just install ALL the apps…
I could go all night with this but will stop here. Essentially all we would need to do is put a smartphone in the capsule and call it a day. Nearly everything we use on a daily basis to go through our lives is right there.
In one highly expensive, thin plastic and metal slab.
Something about that doesn’t sit well with me and leaves me a bit uneasy. How did we go from a world where every one thing had its purpose, infused in cultural norms and society, to collapsing it into one powerful machine? Long gone are the days of newspaper stands, pay phones, hailing taxis, and asking for directions. Each of these is replaced with a click, swipe, and a tap.
I may not have lived my adult life in a time before smartphones but for some reason, I miss it. I miss all of these things. It seems so much more natural than using a smartphone. Perhaps because it was a time when things were much simpler. Or maybe it allowed for the social contact that we strive for as humans. It doesn’t make sense, and I don’t know how, but
I miss it.
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