I took this photograph at Da Nang Airport, in Vietnam. The girl’s parents were both on their phones about 20 yards away.
Although it shouldn’t surprise me, I was struck by the number of iPads and laptops I saw on our recent travels. Especially the former. Even in remote places, being ferried by minibus to other remote places, the iPads were out; our need for entertainment is not to be suppressed by the risk of loss or theft, or even the view out of the window.
I think this photograph captures things perfectly: the little girl’s YouTube trance; the opportune use of an airport power socket; the role of laptop as temporary guardian; the prioritisation of stimulus over comfort – and the illusory sense of privacy created by hiding behind a metal post.
Seems the whole world is destined to become a ‘second screen’.
