Yesterday, I nearly mowed down a young woman with my grocery shopping cart. She was below my line of vision because, apparently, she was having a wonderful chat with a row of canned soup on the bottom shelf.
My ‘oops, sorry,’ prompted her to glare in my direction. It was then I noticed the phone clutched to her ear. As I pushed past her, I heard her grumbled comment: ‘Old biddy…probably blind as a bat.’
Which got me thinking about the way cell phones are creating a generation of rude, clueless, and in many cases classless people. It now appears entirely acceptable to talk through, around and over others as long as the cell phone user is also multi-tasking. In the foregoing case that would be deciding whether to buy the clam chowder or mushroom soup, while at the same time checking with a friend to see whether cardboard crackers were an acceptable part of her diet.
I’ve had to listen to the minutiae of how to encourage a baby to eat carrot mush; the scene by scene review of the latest action movie and advice on how to save a marriage. All because I was waiting in line behind a cell phone addict.
Whatever happened to those halcyon days when people actually spoke to each other face-to-face? When you could see a smile on someone’s face and be happy knowing you were the one who put it there? Now it seems the best you can hope for is not too many conversations that are interrupted by ‘You’re breaking up…’ or ‘I’m losing you.’
I completely understand that cell phones are a very handy accessory in the case of an emergency. But how many emergencies can there possibly be in one day to each person? For that matter, what exactly constitutes an emergency?
I’ve witnessed a neighbor leave her house, lock the front door, enter the garage, start her car and begin backing it out and THEN slap the phone to her ear to report her imminent arrival at her destination. And how about the young couple who were seated at a table next to mine in a fancy shmancy restaurant a while back? They arrived, the server handed them menus and, even before his back was turned, both people had their cell phones out and were texting. Each other? I at least hope that was the case. Which then begs the question, what were they saying?
‘Soup or salad?’ or ‘Yikes, did you bring any money?’
In any event, it was sad to watch and an even sadder example of where we’re all heading. First, good manners fly out the window, smartly followed by dialogue between two people, and then what? We all turn into robots?
I think I’ll start a ‘Let’s Talk Face-to-Face’ club. The only rule will be that all cell phones must be left at the door. Problem is, the conversations will probably consist of what the latest cell phone apps can do or how to increase your texting speed by eliminating more letters from the alphabet and using your toes. I don’t think I’m on a winner with this one.
I'll join you in the Face-to-Face club. I personally would have turned around and told the rude one a few things or two or just knock her over while on the ground......oops I didn't see you HAhaha
ReplyDeleteWhat I cannot understand is why anyone would want to be 'available' all the time. It seems to me that for many people the 'cell' is an addiction. I agree with having to leave cell phones at the door! Why people talk in such loud voices, too -- on trains, walking along the street -- I can't say how many times someone has come up behind me talking and I've thought they were talking to me!
ReplyDeleteI hear you loud and clear Broad :)
ReplyDeleteIt's the people who have to have a cell phone glued to their ear while they're driving whom I want to lock up and throw away the key.
ReplyDeleteTalking on a phone is different than talking face-to-face. Since all the verbal cues (and most of the auditory ones, too) are missing over a phone, one has to concentrate more deeply to have the conversation. When one is doing this while driving, one perforce steals that concentration from that which ought to be devoted to the driving.
The word verification for this post was "bombon", and the cars of drivers who insist upon using a phone while driving are more likely to turn into bombs.
I've never been much on talking on the phone. I have a cell, but mainly use it to keep in touch with my daughter. She texts me when she's ready for me to pick her from school. I guess I actually text on it more than I talk.
ReplyDeleteDriving while talking on the phone seems to really make a difference as far as safety. You can tell someone is on the phone buy how they are controlling the car. I keep a close eye on talkers...for my own safety. I don't usually talk while I drive. I have enough trouble paying attention, I sure don't need the distraction.
According to recent research by Ofcom, 37% of adults and 60% of teens admit to being ‘highly addicted’ to their smartphones, with users checking their smartphones on average, 34 times a day. Additionally, 51% of adults and 65% of teens use their smartphones while socializing with others, and 22% and 47% respectively, confess to answering their smartphones even while on the toilet.
ReplyDelete‘Moodoff Day’ on February 26th asks smartphone and mobile device addicts (and those that don’t yet consider themselves such) to spend a morning without their beloved devices.
If you feel you could benefit from a morning without smartphones and mobile devices and want to encourage others to follow suit, go to www.MoodOffDay.org and pledge your support. You can even post your personal experiences of smartphone addiction or upload funny images showing smartphone addicts in action at www.facebook.com/MoodOffDay