This cell phone, called the Jitterbug, was advertised in this Sunday's Parade magazine. It appears to be a giant leap backward while having some tremendous appeal to a certain segment of our society. Unlike the normal cell phone with a dozen tiny buttons and even tiner markings, this phone has, for all practical purposes, three buttons - a green Operator button, a yellow MyChoice button, and a red 911 button. Having an emergency? Open your Jitterbug and press the red 911 button. What could be simpler? For the yello MyChoice button you assign a personal favorite number - husband, wife, best friend, Chinese take-out, whoever you call most frequently.
But the real kicker for me is the green Operator key. Hit that and you get .... a live operator ready to select a person from a list you've previously submitted or dial any other number you ask for. Exactly like we did it 56 years ago! I'm old enough to remember picking up the phone and hearing a familiar voice respond, "Operator. Who are you calling?" And we'd respond with "Helen Watts" or "George Weight" or maybe even "527-J". Can't you just see the appeal of this marvel? A live person to talk with any time day or night at the push of a button. Just like the 1950's.
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