Rachel Plotnick

And I realize there's just a lot of interesting things happening around our environments and our bodies and our devices. And maintenance and care is kind of a real problem. So I looked at issues of waterproofing and how that's kind of evolved over time from everything from wristwatches to current smartphones. And

And I realize there's just a lot of interesting things happening around our environments and our bodies and our devices. And maintenance and care is kind of a real problem. So I looked at issues of waterproofing and how that's kind of evolved over time from everything from wristwatches to current smartphones. And

thinking about what we do to kind of keep our devices alive in all of these situations. It's actually pretty tricky.

thinking about what we do to kind of keep our devices alive in all of these situations. It's actually pretty tricky.

It was really not easy, actually. Just like buttons, it was like, all right, well, which buttons should I study and which liquids should I study and which devices? But I kind of take this long historical approach. I actually start out with looking at babies who were teething on telephone cords in the 1900s.

It was really not easy, actually. Just like buttons, it was like, all right, well, which buttons should I study and which liquids should I study and which devices? But I kind of take this long historical approach. I actually start out with looking at babies who were teething on telephone cords in the 1900s.

They kept getting saliva on the cord, and then people would lose their phone service, which was pretty fascinating. I look at things like vinyl records and how smudges on the disc would create problems with being able to play music. And then I move all the way into things like the Sony Walkman and early PCs and keyboards and all the problems around liquids and dust and things like that.

They kept getting saliva on the cord, and then people would lose their phone service, which was pretty fascinating. I look at things like vinyl records and how smudges on the disc would create problems with being able to play music. And then I move all the way into things like the Sony Walkman and early PCs and keyboards and all the problems around liquids and dust and things like that.

And then moving more into the present with, you know, wearables and smartphones and things like that. So I kind of took this long range approach of thinking about, hey. You know, this kind of messiness, this what I call media hygiene, how we kind of protect our devices from ourselves has been a problem for a really long time. But we kind of negotiate it in different ways at different moments.

And then moving more into the present with, you know, wearables and smartphones and things like that. So I kind of took this long range approach of thinking about, hey. You know, this kind of messiness, this what I call media hygiene, how we kind of protect our devices from ourselves has been a problem for a really long time. But we kind of negotiate it in different ways at different moments.

So even the buttons, you know, they get wet, they get dirty. You're going to have problems.

So even the buttons, you know, they get wet, they get dirty. You're going to have problems.

I looked at that a little bit. Yeah. I mean, there was a lot of talk, especially during the pandemic, about, you know, what's appropriate for cleaning your phone? What are you allowed to put on it? What are you not? What happens if you take it in the bathroom? And I think that there's, you know, obviously there's contamination issues and health issues around that.

I looked at that a little bit. Yeah. I mean, there was a lot of talk, especially during the pandemic, about, you know, what's appropriate for cleaning your phone? What are you allowed to put on it? What are you not? What happens if you take it in the bathroom? And I think that there's, you know, obviously there's contamination issues and health issues around that.

But it's also like, where do we want our media? Like, is it socially acceptable to live stream from your bathtub? Do you put a TV, you know, in your shower? Yeah. Is it good to disconnect in certain situations? Where do we actually want our devices to go? And some people actually say, hey, it's better that this thing isn't waterproof because that way I have to take a break. Right.

But it's also like, where do we want our media? Like, is it socially acceptable to live stream from your bathtub? Do you put a TV, you know, in your shower? Yeah. Is it good to disconnect in certain situations? Where do we actually want our devices to go? And some people actually say, hey, it's better that this thing isn't waterproof because that way I have to take a break. Right.

So there's an interesting kind of dialogue there.

So there's an interesting kind of dialogue there.

Yeah, there were a lot of terrible stories about that, especially in the 20s and 30s, people dropping their radios in the bathtub, even children, you know, horrible deaths from electrocution. And obviously now we don't have to worry about that as much as we used to. But I think there's still kind of a stigma around liquids and electronics. Like people immediately are like, Put that drink away.

Yeah, there were a lot of terrible stories about that, especially in the 20s and 30s, people dropping their radios in the bathtub, even children, you know, horrible deaths from electrocution. And obviously now we don't have to worry about that as much as we used to. But I think there's still kind of a stigma around liquids and electronics. Like people immediately are like, Put that drink away.