If you are 30 years old or above, you probably know where these lyrics are from. For those of you who don't know, the lyrics 'We are all just prisoners here of our own device' are from the song 'Hotel California' by the Eagles.
The Eagles are a rock band that was influential during the 1970s, their genre is soft rock. Their album 'Hotel California' is one of the most successful albums they have released. One of the songs on this album is 'Hotel California,' which became famous not only for its lyrics but also for its excellent guitar play.
If you read the lyrics, you will realize that it is a metaphor expressing something the writer wants to convey.
I was a fan of a rock band in my younger years, but when I turned 20, I started avoiding it. Although the beat is really catchy, the lyrics seemed demonic.
For those of you who haven't heard this song yet, you can watch the official music video here.
What caught my attention is the part of the lyrics where it says 'We are all just prisoners here of our own device.'
This caught my attention because one of my friends posted something about these lyrics and interpreted it as 'People today are trapped in their own devices,' pointing out that the device is our cellphones and saying that now she knows why it is called a cell phone.
I'm not saying that this is the real meaning of the lyrics because the internet was made public in the 1980s and the cellphone was developed in the early 2000s, and it is not possible that the writer is talking about this. What I think the lyrics are trying to tell us is that we make our own prisons.
If I interpret the lyrics in this era, I somehow agree with her because, yes, a cellphone is a device, and is it just a coincidence that the device called a cellphone seems to trap us and make us prisoners?
I'm not saying that the cellphone is bad, but if you are one of those people whose life depends on their phones, you should probably continue reading.
The cellphone is a significant help, especially when it comes to communication, but many people nowadays have become very dependent on their cellphones.
Photo by camilo jimenez on Unsplash
I still remember when I used to hang out at clubs, it's a place to drink, dance, and party, right? But if you look around, there are many people who can't seem to disregard their phones for a while and enjoy the place and the moment.
Instead, they take out their cellphones and check their social media, socializing there instead of personally with the people in front of them.
Many kids don't want to go out and hang out with their friends anymore because they are busy playing online games on their devices.
Photo by Pandhuya Niking on Unsplash
I know some people whose life will be incomplete if they can't post something on social media, and some of them get sad if they don't get engagements like comments and hearts on their posts.
Photo by Eaters Collective on Unsplash
There are others who don't want to go out anymore because they just want to relax at home and binge-watch free movies all day.
Photo by CardMapr.nl on Unsplash
I have also noticed that many parents nowadays are using online devices like cellphones and tablets to keep their child busy so they won't be disturbed by their kids. Because of this, many kids who were introduced to using online devices are now having a hard time living without them.
Some countries have made ads to make people aware that kids younger than 12 should not use online devices yet because what they need is personal interaction with their parents.
There are many advantages to cellphones, and it is really an important device, it made our lives easier and simpler in terms of communicating through emails, being updated on current events, searching for immediate answers, online shopping, ease in financial transactions, and more.
But let us also be aware of the damages that it can give to our lives. Let us use our cellphones wisely and not be prisoners of them.