Thursday, December 13, 2012

The Trend That Drives Me Insanely Bonkers

Mama’s Losin’ It


Mama Kat's Prompt 
1. A trend that you can't stand right now.

There is a trend, right now, that drives me nuts. Completely insane. Insanely bonkers.

It's not a fashion or decorating thing.

I’ve ranted about it before and I will again, no doubt AND I’m guilty at times myself for a portion of it.

I have a smart phone. I like it. It does a lot of things that help with the coordination and organization of my daily life. However, I don’t even know half of what it does because, frankly, I don’t care.

I want to text, take photos, retrieve email, and call my family or a friend.

I want to look up directions in a pinch even though I’ll never admit to being directionally challenged because I’m not so I rarely do. I want to check a movie time or the weather someplace where I’m shortly to depart.

Things of this nature.

So what is the trend I can’t stand?

The constant need for people to continually and obsessively play with their smart phones especially in the presence of other people. And double especially if they are with their friends or families.

Every single thing that comes out of someone’s mouth, they’ll say, “Oh, I’ll Wiki that.”

However, I have several friends who will pull out their phones at dinner or a party or even while sharing a cup of coffee at the local joint for no other reason than to mindlessly use it. That bothers me. It makes me feel as if what we’re doing or saying is not as important as what they’re doing or saying to someone else.

And their phones are constantly beeping, ringing, tweeting, etc.

If I’m going to leave my home to share time with someone, and they’re going to take time out of their busy day for me, I’d like to think we’d focus our attentions on each other and not someone who is not even present.

There are times when it can’t be helped and I am all over it if my kids are calling or texting from school, or someone else’s children, family, or friends are in need of them. We need to be available for important stuff, be reliable to those we care about. I get it.

I don’t bring my phone out with me at night. I have a husband for that ;-). If we are together, which is more often than not, there’s one for emergencies between the two of us.

But when I see people looking at their phones constantly, absorbed,

Tap, tap, tapping on the keys,

Totally distracted from those in their immediate presence, I kind of (no really) have a problem.


Let’s look each other in the eye and speak.

Otherwise, we might as well stay home and text each other instead.

Then we’d probably be in our sweats, on the couch, with a glass of wine and book open in our lap.

23 comments:

Madamdreamweaver said...

I totally agree! I hate that,constantly have to be checking the phone all the time. We tell the Air Force kids at our Bible Study to turn them off--and it's a shame we have to even say so.

Unknown said...

I see entire families on their phones out at restaurants all at the same time! Makes me wonder is that what they call family time?? I am with you on this one all the way. I turn my phone off when I'm in public with loved ones or in restaurants or the lines in the store. Voice mail baby!

Suddenly Susan said...

Oh, don't get me started! Haha! You already have!! We are living in weird times, aren't we?

Barb said...

My husband does this sometimes, and it drives me crazy. It's like the new equivalent of the husband reading the newspaper at the table.

Arnebya said...

THIS is what bothers me, Jen! A random check of a phone, meh; I'm ok with that. But out with family having dinner and everyone is on the phone? Makes me think if that's how it is at home. I don't mean to sound better than anyone, but there is NO way you're sitting at my table at home or not and not interacting with me. (Although, yes, there have been times where I've given the 3 yr old my phone for a game while we wait for food because OMG SAVE ME FROM HIS THREENESS.)

Gina said...

It drives me nuts with kids, for sure, but even more so with adults especially a few of the adults I know quite well. Unless it's an emergency, check your phone after dinner.

Gina said...

Jen,
I feel sorry for those families. I really do. While mine is not perfect my kids know if their phone is anywhere near the dinner table, I will take it. They sit on the counter. Like you, I do not talk on the phone in checkout lines either. I think it's rude. My phone is always on silent when I'm out which poses a problem when I forget to turn the ringer back on (I lose it a lot). I want human interaction, not techno-interaction.

Gina said...

Arnebya,
I'm good with the random check as well because we all have kids. I see so many kids on their phones, playing games, texting or whatever, and their parents are talking with each other. I'm big on family time which means interact with your parents and siblings! My kids try to sneak it under the table occasionally and then I take it until after dinner. I get the thing with his THREENESS. I'd do the same. Mine are adults and I expect adult like behavior.

Gina said...

Susan! Thanks so much for following me. Happy Dance!!!

I know. When I get started on this it's difficult for me to stop. Not a whole lot bothers me but this really does. It started over the weekend at a dinner out then in the abundant lines I've been in this week everywhere with everyone on their phone and not acknowledging cashiers or paying attention. I don't like hearing other people's conversation either. And then that whole bluetooth earpiece. I always think they're talking to me and I'll say "excuse me". Then I realize I'm invisible to them.

Gina said...

I can totally see that it's like the newspaper which I am guilty of on some Sunday mornings but I'm usually on the couch with my breakfast.

Vanessa said...

This is the most annoying thing ever and deserves an AMEN!!!!

Clickin in from Mama Kats! :)
Vanessa
http://vanessaschrotenboer.com

Gina said...

Me thinks so too! Obviously...
Thanks for visiting Vanessa!

Stacie @ Snaps and Bits said...

That bothers me too Gina! The only time I might do that is if I hear the text noise and I think it might be from my son. Otherwise - you have my undivided attention!

christie said...

It bothers me too ABOUT MYSELF, and I can't stop. It's scary. I want to stop and I just can't. I love it when I just give my hubs my phone and say, "HERE, take it." It's like freedom. Great post.

Kenya G. Johnson said...

IMDB is my Wiki! My bad. It's weird how it use to be okay to miss a phone call away from home and just check messages and return phone calls then. I do despise people talking on their phones in a restaurant. I don't make public phone calls unless its necessary.

William Dameron said...

I am guilty, and I hate it. I want to enjoy time the way I used to enjoy time, before the Internet. I would say that I would give it up for a weekend, but as an IT Director, I feel like I always need to be on call. But maybe for a day, maybe tomorrow....

Samantha Brinn Merel said...

This makes me crazy too. Also high on my list? Talking on the phone, or playing with it while being helped in a check out line. Its just plain rude.

DEZMOND said...

couldn't agree more, Gina

KatBouska said...

YES! I always make a point to leave my phone alone, and to be honest, I don't even WANT anything to do with it if I'm out with friends. I've used it on very rare occasions for personal use if necessary, and always for the handy tip calculator, but that's IT!

Lisa said...

AMEN! My 9 year old daughter got after the three of us who have phones at lunch recently. She made us give them all to her so we could have a 'real conversation'. Guess who's the smartest member of our family? :)

Melanie said...

Oooh, that drives me batty! The very first thing my husband does in the morning is check his email on his phone. I think the first thing he should think of in the morning is kissing me. Right?

a.eye said...

I love this post!!

I don't understand what people even do on their phones constantly. Sometimes, I'm not sure they are doing anything besides looking at the screen and pretending to do something.

What is the obsession?! Have people become so fearful of contact with other humans that they can't even have their devices out of their hands?

AVY said...

Talking to people is overrated.

/ Avy
http://MyMotherFuckedMickJagger.blogspot.com