Refuseniks

a Soviet citizen, usually Jewish, who was denied permission to emigrate from the Soviet Union

Origin:


1970–75; refuse + -nik, perh. trans. of Russ otkáznik (unless the Russ word is itself a trans. of refusenik)
 
Now this term is being used to distinguish anyone who rejects a segment of society.  What brings me to this???
 
Last night Greg and I were watching a tv show on the computer.  It took a few minutes to figure out how to get it started, as the network had changed their format, their face page and requirements.  Greg made the comment that we as a society are totally ruled by technology, the learning process, the maintaining and the updating, and we wait, and wait, and wait.  We have cell phones that keep us on the grid...so much so that the goverment can find you anywhere, as long as it is with you.  We have email that keep us internationally connected at a moments notice.  We have internet that gives us knowledge about anything and anyone we are curious about.  In our discussion we wondered what would happen if we went off the grid?  Greg asked..."could you go off the gird?"  I thought seriously and said that it would be like going through withdrawals and would probably take me a couple of weeks to begin relaxing.
 
The lead story on the internet news was about "technological refusenik."  Those who do not have cell phones.  85% of all adults have cell phones.  When I was at quilt group a cell phone would go off about every 20 mintues and 2 or 3 people would pipe up, "someones cell phones is ringing" and several people would check their phones.  This group is mainly made up of retired women who are socializing while enjoying the age old art of quilting.
 
A smaller segment of society does not have cell phones either because they are older or less educated and subsequently have less funds to support and update technology.
 
But, there is about a 5% slice of society that do not have cell phones because they are Refuseniks.  They take pride in being off the grid, being hard to keep track of and knowing that they walk to a different drummer.
 
My mother who will be 80 yrs old just bought herself an I Phone, oye vey am I in trouble.