--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's hard to say conversation has become…" description: "\"It's hard to say conversation has become a minimal thing, because look at the rise of mobile communications in the last 10 years. It used to be only th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a7/padgett-powell-14196_age_it-s-hard-to-say-conversation-has-become_2488640.png" --- # It's hard to say conversation has become a minimal thing… ![“It's hard to say conversation has become a minimal thing, because look at the rise of mobile communications in the last 10 years. It used to be only the President had a mobile phone. Now everyone on earth, even if they have nothing else, they have a cell phone. It's a larger anthropological shift…” quote by Padgett Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a7/padgett-powell-14196_age_it-s-hard-to-say-conversation-has-become_2488640.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a7/padgett-powell-14196_age_it-s-hard-to-say-conversation-has-become_2488640.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a7/padgett-powell-14196_age_it-s-hard-to-say-conversation-has-become_2488640.png) > “It's hard to say conversation has become a minimal thing, because look at the rise of mobile communications in the last 10 years. It used to be only the President had a mobile phone. Now everyone on earth, even if they have nothing else, they have a cell phone. It's a larger anthropological shift in my mind than even the tattoo age in the United States.” [Padgett Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/padgett-powell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Mobile phones have democratized communication, creating a cultural shift comparable to historic social changes. **In simple terms:** Phones changed how we talk. Key Takeaway Adapt to new communication norms. Themes technology culture communication Mood analytical contemplative Type observational critical When to use this quote - business meetings - personal messaging - emergency alerts - social activism Key Concepts Digital anthropology social media impact Questions to Reflect On - How has your communication style changed? - What are the downsides of constant connectivity? A Different Perspective Overreliance may reduce deep conversation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Carnivals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carnivals/) [Cell phone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cell-phone/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Conversation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conversation/) [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Mobile Phone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mobile-phone/) [Mobile phones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mobile-phones/) [Navy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/navy/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Phones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phones/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [Prison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prison/) [Tattoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tattoo/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) [United states](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united-states/) ## Related quotes > [You shouldn't say, 'Well, we cannot go there,' before we even had the conversation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-murkowski/you-shouldn-t-say-well-we-cannot-go-there-before-we-even-had-the/) [Lisa Murkowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-murkowski/) > [People say conversation is a lost art; how often I have wished it were.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-r-murrow/people-say-conversation-is-a-lost-art-how-often-i-have-wished-it-were/) [Edward R. Murrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-r-murrow/) > [I want to say things on stage that I wouldn't have the guts to say in conversation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romesh-ranganathan/i-want-to-say-things-on-stage-that-i-wouldn-t-have-the-guts-to-say-in/) [Romesh Ranganathan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romesh-ranganathan/) > [“Every person has something meaningful to say in the conversation of life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/every-person-has-something-meaningful-to-say-in-the-conversation-of/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [Life will be much more exciting when we stop creating applications for mobile phones and we start creating applications for our own body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-will-be-much-more-exciting-when-we-stop-creating-applications/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Remember when only a few people had mobile phones. 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The keypad isn't linguistically sensible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-crystal/sending-a-message-on-a-mobile-phone-is-not-the-most-natural-of-ways/) [David Crystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-crystal/) > [I don't have a Facebook page. I don't use Twitter. I don't give anyone a lot to grab onto. Sometimes, I even take out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-suarez/i-don-t-have-a-facebook-page-i-don-t-use-twitter-i-don-t-give-anyone/) [Daniel Suarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-suarez/) > [Outside the classroom, the use of mobile phones distracts from healthy exercise and good old-fashioned play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-williamson/outside-the-classroom-the-use-of-mobile-phones-distracts-from-healthy/) [Gavin Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-williamson/) > [Many students don't really like it (fashion). 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Overall, I detect that the tree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/padgett-powell/a-whole-section-of-the-family-tree-is-pruned-and-primped-and-assessed/) [Padgett Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/padgett-powell/) > [Have you come over time to think that you know more now than you did when you were young, know less now than when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/padgett-powell/have-you-come-over-time-to-think-that-you-know-more-now-than-you-did/) [Padgett Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/padgett-powell/) > [Cholesterol to go with alcohol; all the bad things in English-speaking life end in -ol.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/padgett-powell/cholesterol-to-go-with-alcohol-all-the-bad-things-in-english-speaking/) [Padgett Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/padgett-powell/) [Explore all 47 Padgett Powell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/padgett-powell/) ## More Age quotes > [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." 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