Talking is the Most Human Thing

A while ago I was looking at this photo of Kyrgyz herders in northern Afghanistan all playing with their mobile phones, and it struck me that instant communication is one part of modern technology that nobody had to be talked into. Offered the chance to speak at any time with friends or associates anywhere, people in every culture have leaped at it. This is one thing we all understand, no matter what our cultural background. FaceBook and similar posting services have also spread into every corner of the world, as ways to keep track of our friends. Which is why I don't find this surprising at all:

Surprisingly, the UN reports there are now more people with mobile phones (six billion for world population of seven billion) on earth than there are with access to clean toilets (4.5 billion).