i'm not made out of money, you know.

I just got home from a Mother's Day dinner with my family at my grandmother's house and this topic came up for discussion: Rogers Wireless is going to start charging for received text messages in July.

Number one, that is ridiculous because who controls their received messages? I know I don't. Number two, it's irrational for their customers  because it will result in extra charges. The only smart (but selfish) decision that Rogers Wireless is making by this is number three, they will increase their profits.

Well guess what, we're in a recession and I personally don't care how much money Rogers Wireless is continuously making because some of their clientel are lower to middle class people. Unfortunately, like any major corporation, they most likely don't care about who they are serving because those who can't afford it will either find some way to pay up or back out of their wireless plan which would result in a cancelling fee. How companies get your money just blows my mind.

I also heard over dinner that if a client currently has a plan with Rogers Wireless, there is a chance they won't be effected by the received text message charge. That is great but it could also be a rumour. In that case, they're still making money because people who have yet to purchase a cell phone (like elementary school children) might encourage their parents to purchase a Rogers Wireless plan now before it's too late.

To add to this scandal, Rogers Wireless isn't the only company adding this fee, Telus and Bell are as well (so I hear). This might be just a story told by a friend to a friend to a friend, etc, in which case there is no need to worry, but if it is correct (like the theory of Network Neutrality where major phone companies want to control the Internet to prevent access to certain websites to increase revenue) then the public is once again, well, screwed.

So, for the three quaters of Canada who are with Bell, Telus, and Rogers, I'd like to advise you to contact your Wireless Service Provider for information and how it will effect you. Prevent any hidden fees and ask ahead of time.

Just on a side note, as much as I love having my cell phone and receiving text messages, society's dependency on the electronic device is almost sickening. I mean, we even buy skins, wallpapers, ring tones, graphics, and music for our cell phones making them a part of our identity, "an extention of our skin" (thank you Mass Communication and Comm. Tech & Culture with Ian Reilly--who doesn't even own a cell phone).

I hate to break it to you, but some people might even ignore this financial pandemic and just pay, pay, and pay without even thinking twice about it. That's the exact reason why these phone companies may start charging for things they shouldn't be charging for, because they know that no matter what cell phone technology will only become more advanced and more necessary. As a result, they will become richer as we continue to dish out money. What did people do when there was only such a thing as talking face to face? I guess they then invented the telegram to make money. 

We might even be better off going back to the Public Pay Phone where we pay 25-50 cents for an unlimited local phone call. More positively, I don't think Pay Phones give you cancer like cell phones have the potential for.