“I’m on a mountain, on my phone!”

This weekend I stayed in and rented a silly movie that unexpectedly reminded me of the PR world.

The movie? Hot Tub Time Machine, a DVD I would have rented,watched and returned without comment if I hadn’t read Robyn’s “Caught in the Middle Continues” blog post just a few days earlier.

"You're never gonna believe where I'm callin' you from, man. I'm on a mountain, on my phone!"

While the premise is outlandish – four men on a ski weekend find themselves back in 1986 after taking a dip in what must be “some kind of hot tub time machine” – the idea of going back to a time before the Internet and cell phones  reminded me of how difficult and different media relations must have been in the past.

Jacob: I’m kinda right in the middle of a thing right now, but can I text you later?
Girl: Can you what?
Jacob: Are you online at all?
Girl: I have no idea what you’re talking about.
Jacob: How do I get a hold of you?
Girl: You come find me.
Jacob: That sounds… exhausting.

It does sound exhausting. In fact, as a 22-year-old who grew up with the Internet, I can’t imagine what it would be like to try tracking down reporters without email or cell phones. For people who don’t like to be tethered to their office lines all day and night, these new(-ish) technological tools allow us to communicate wirelessly, effortlessly and immediately. Being in the HKA office, and especially reading Robyn’s “Caught in the Middle” entries, has given me a great deal of perspective on how reliant we are now on the digital world as a means of communication and how lucky I feel to be able to use Twitter, Facebook, instant messaging and text messages to reach someone instantaneously. From now on, when I want to pull my hair out after not being able to find someone’s contact info online, I’ll count my blessings and be happy that the Internet and Google (or “Lougle” as it’s known after the Hot Tub guys change history) even exist.

www.hkamarcom.com

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