AHHHGH! Stop the madness!

[QuadShot]

Ok, so, I need to rant and vent a bit. Now, I haven't seen my daughter in about 5 years.  She lives with her mother, and is going to be a Jr at Illinois Wesleyan College. Various aspects of life have kept us from seeing one another, long story, not for this post.  Anyway, for months, my wife Joyce, myself and my 19 year old daughter have planned a visit.  Amanda (daughter) flew out here on Friday, July 2, then we drove to Disneyland Saturday (she'd never been so I THOUGHT she was excited).  So what does she do the entire 5 and a half hour drive? Text message her boyfriend, her mother, her step father, her friends, back to the boyfriend, then the mother again, then...well, you get the picture.  Ok, so not a huge deal.  Then, we check into the hotel and journey to the Happiest Place on Earth...what is that she's doing? TEXTING!  :mad2: Our entire weekend at the Park and she's got her face burried in her phone. Not enjoying the Park it seems.  Then, I look all around me and notice, probably about 80% of everyone in the Disneyland Resort is texting.  What the heck happened? I'm no technophobe, but come on! What is so important that you HAVE to constantly text message, even in Disneyland? And yes, before you say anything, I did mention my consternation to her but to no avail. I figure, I haven't seen her in like, forever, why alienate her? My point is, I just don't understand what is so important that we have to always stay connected to everyone? Why not put your text messaging on hold for a bit? I'm kind of disappointed in people - can't just enjoy life.  It's kind of like in WallE. The people in that animated movie are just what we're going to evolve into.  Our faces stuck inside some view screen "chatting" "texting" or whatever so much that we don't even know the ship has a pool! My  :2cents  Al

[Rico]

I feel your pain.  It's really crazy sometimes what I see people doing and where.  On Lynn's recent trip here, some guy on the bus portion of the trip was talking on his cell the whole time right near her.  I guess it would have been better to have been texting, but come on people, have some manners.  And when you are out with someone, pay some attention to them - and not someone on your phone.  Geez!

[Bryancd]

Preach it, brother! I don't even like my cell phone. I don't text and I don't tweet. Hell, sometimes at home I don't even pick up my phone if I am doing something else. I LIKE TO BE LEFT ALONE! I spend more times outside in the real world than just about anyone I know, completely disconnected, often sweating a lot. :)

My 21 year old brother and 18 year old sister are chronic texters and tweeters. I have yelled at them in the past and may initiate beatings if the trend continues.... ;)

[Rico]

I think many younger people are just more insecure than us guys.  They need that constant feedback from texts, calls, tweets, etc. to help them feel important.  We don't need that - we already know we are important.  ;)

[QuadShot]

So true Rico. I realize I'm about to sound like an old man, but I truly think this younger generation must be connected 24/7.  And maybe you're right, they need to feel connected virtually because they don't know how to connect face to face.  Sad really. And if you try to intervene...."GAWD DAD! You're SO OLD! You just don't understand!" Yeah? Well, YOU don't understand.  I just spent $150 on your PARK TICKET! ENJOY THE ##^)*& PARK! :)

[X]

Here is the problem. While I totally agree with you that it can get out of hand, they are enjoying themselves. If texting is their way of having fun, do what I do and just nod and move on with the day. I was on BBSes for hours back in the day, then emails, and instant messaging when it was rolled out. We all have our vices on how we want to communicate, be it on a phone call, forum, IM, text, face to face, email, or regular mail.

I didn't get why you would take 20 minutes to type a conversation that could be spoken in two, but it convenient. You can say something, do something, then pick back up on the conversation with no breach of etiquette. Pausing for ten minutes in the middle of a live conversation is usually frowned upon.

I'm actually for texting because it seems to be helping raise the literacy levels in America. That can't be a bad thing. When schools have failed, there's texting and peer acceptance that are pushing people to read more and understand that reading.

In the end, I just shrug and nod.

[Bryancd]

Except for the fact that when texting, they employee this crazy form of short hand so I'm not sure how that is advancing reading comprehension and literracy.

[billybob476]

wut? u dun lik my txtng? LOLOMGROFL!!!!!1!

I'm someone that likes being connected as much as possible. I also spent hours on BBS' and the like. Just the way I am I guess.

[X]

Except for the fact that when texting, they employee this crazy form of short hand so I'm not sure how that is advancing reading comprehension and literracy.

Not everyone uses texttype and even with texttype, they are showing improvement. Here is a link to an article from last year in the UK. I know that the US has also done studies that has shown improvement.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7910075.stm

[Rico]

I don't think it's very good manners to text a lot or even make a long call when doing something with others.  If that's what the person really wants to do then why are they out with you in the first place?  As for helping with literacy, I have my doubts.  I think reading more would help just as much - if not more.

[billybob476]

Fran gets mad at me constantly for fiddling with my phone when we're out to dinner (alone, not with others of course). We have a deal that I can check in on foursquare or Gowalla then it goes away.

[QuadShot]

I think it's mostly the younger generation using the textish language.  However, while I do agree with you Just X, because I love my iPhone and the ability to send a quick text when I don't feel like talking, the line must be drawn somewhere.  I mean, a weekend for 3 at Disneyland is not a cheap treat.  And you'd think that a daughter that hasn't seen her father/step mother in at least 5 years would actually want to spend time with them.  I know that it's as much my fault. I could have put a fast stop to it, but that would have created a very tense vacation, then everyone would have been frustrated and upset instead of just me. I guess what I'm getting at is that texting/cell phone useage has it's place for sure. I'm pro technology but while this technology is helping advance our society, it's also helping to separate the family unit. I know I may be delusional but I really think that we need to harken back to the age when families ate meals together, talked (face to face) with one another.  I think if we KNEW our kids, and knew what was going on with them, there'd be fewer guns in the schools-drugs found in lockers-missing child situations.  Al

[Bryancd]

My concern is the insulating nature of technology and how it limits and retards human direct interaction. Who knows what the unitended consequences of that will be.

[QuadShot]

So true. 100 years from now...we'll be having "relations" like they do in the movie Demolition Man!

[Geekyfanboy]

I love my social media (Twitter, facebook and such) and I'm almost 40 and I don't think it's because I lack people skills or the ability to communicate face to face.. I do it because I like it. I'm a busy guy and this is one way that I can keep in contact with my friends (real and virtual) and family. I also have a podcast that requires me to keep up to date with all the new media dodas and such. I do enjoy texting when I'm in a hurry and don't want to talk on the phone, which normally leads to long conversations.

I agree that some folks take it to extremes and there is a time and place for texting and such, but that doesn't make all those who text inept people.