There! I said it. They have no self-restraint. They are rude. They text during dinner, when guests are over, during "family time", during church...and on and on.
We went to a meeting at our Bishop's house last night. They are quaintly referred to as "firesides". There was no fire unless you count the middle-aged women who had just walked in from the 110-degree heat in the desert. We have to shake off the flames to sit on the furniture....but I digress. Our sweet bishop met with the parents of our youth to, basically, give us a good talking to about our own children. They aren't quite measuring up....Church standard-wise. Some are....some aren't. When he was asked about cell phones, he said that if his children were teens (and one of his children, a daughter, was right there in the room because she's the Young Women's President) the only cell phone would be in the glove compartment of the car for emergency use ONLY and there would certainly NEVER be texting on it. NEVER. I have to give this man props...he "walks the walk"....all of his kids...ALL....are stalwarts...
"Texter's thumb" (texting tendinitis) is now a condition....much like "tennis elbow". Now, I'm not talking about responsible adults who know when to stop or those who use it to facilitate meetings, etc. Don't compare the use of adolescent texting with adults who hold down jobs or school or other responsible endeavors. It's apples-to-oranges time here and you'll just make yourself look stupid...I'm talking to you, petulant adolescent!
Also, there is "texting addiction" that is getting more and more attention. There are four signs that you may have a problem.
Experts say that there are four distinct symptoms to diagnosing texting as a mental illness:
- Excessive use (neglect day to day activities)
- Withdrawal ( feeling depressed when not accessible)
- Tolerance (over texting)
- Negative repercussion ( social isolation)
I'm talking about the way-out-of-control-use of adolescents who have no boundaries. They have no self-restraint. They've been given the use of a technology without being taught the consequences of the abuse of that technology. And the consequences? Alienation of their friends and family when they're not interacting with them while in the same room because they're texting other ignorant adolescents...ignoring guests that are RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEM to texts other ignorant adolescents....not listening to those speaking RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEM because they're texting other ignorant adolescents....And have I mentioned that your credibility has taken a SERIOUS hit? I don't want to trust you with anything more serious than walking the dog...and even THAT has me worried....so don't ask me why I have issues with letting you drive or stay out late or anything else that requires that use of a brain and responsible discretion....you haven't demonstrated it....
You wish to demonstrate to the adults in your life that you can handle responsibility?...that you know how to step into adulthood?....tell your parents that you recognize texting is a bad habit and maybe, possibly, it's out of your control. You've met one or more of those four criteria named above and you don't want to be a slave to it anymore. You want respect and credibility and perhaps even some leadership responsibility placed upon you? Cool. Let's do it. Drop that texting. Cancel that service. Your life opens up. Really. I promise. You get to actually interact with people. Look them in the eye...hear their voices....watch their nonverbals....study their body language....learn all kinds of interesting things....things you will NEVER learn from texting....over 80% of communication is non-verbal and visual....think of what you will learn when you stop texting....
talking to your friends and family has worked for eons....talking...actually verbalizing....whodda thunk it?
10 comments:
Let me start the first comment:
THE PARENTS ARE THE BOSSES AND HAVE CONTROL OVER THE TEXTING...I KNOW I KNOW I KNOW....
Amen and amen! And, ya. . .time to step, parents! Time to STEP. IT. UP! Hello? Who's the parent? You're the boss. And, don't apologize - give them a big YOU'RE WELCOME! One day they'll get it.
And amen! People texting (kids or adults) in the company of others is just rude. I had to tell a friend that I wouldn't spend time with her anymore because I was tired of her always choosing her phone over me. And she's 30. It's not just a problem with kids.
@Emmy: Thank you for the amens! And heck yea one day they'll get it....in the far distant future perhaps, but one day....
@Rachel: *open-mouthed shocked expression* And thanks for the amen!!!
too freaky that you wrote this today, deb, because in today's Dispatch is a cartoon that shows a boy standing up at a meeting and he is saying, "hi, my name is mike, and it's been 5 months since i've interrupted a conversation to check my blackberry."
I first hand have noticed the increase in texting with my own daughter. We have taken away times and only give her so many hours on her cell a day. Other than that she needs to use the house phone. Everything is monitored very closely. Both Chris and I, as well as her Grandfather.
It takes a village. Everyone needs to help. Amen!!
@ennbee: no stinkin' way....freaky....and FUNNY!!!!!
@jette:good for you..another good tip-keep the computer in the livingroom....there is no good that comes from keeping it in their rooms or where they can do stuff that no one can see....trusting them means that you can trust them to do their computer stuff where the rest of the fam can see it...there is so much sickness on the 'net....so much....
And amen to that village...just keep them in the "g(o)od" part of the village :)
I just loved the comment about shaking off the flames before you use the furniture. HA!
As for texting, I sent 12 yesterday. Is that too much? I have no doubt that it's considered an addictive activity. I can see how someone could make 100 texts a day. It would be debilitating.
...word.
@Eli: um....you're a productive adult who holds down a full time, very responsible job while simultaneously successfully helping your wife care for two children...I don't think you have a problem...and by the way...I wasn't the recipient of ANY of those texts...I'm just sayin'....
:)
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