Rescue me, please.
It's a beautiful day and the streets of an historic town are lined by trees in vivid fall color. I pass a group of seven teenagers. Each of them is staring intently at their phones. There is no conversation or interaction of any kind among them for the ten minutes I sit waiting for my wife to exit a nearby coffee shop.
I'm at a Jackson Browne concert at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, N.J. In the mezzanine row directly in front of me are three middle-aged women. For the duration of the concert all three scroll the screens on their phones non-stop. Not one of them claps after a single song. As the audience stands hoping for an encore, they remain seated, continuing to scroll.
If you must, call me a crank for reflecting on the modern-day tableaux I observed in that town or for wondering about the women at that concert. Most days I avoid thinking about this inescapable fact of our current reality. Today, I long to be rescued. This too shall pass.
Have to agree with this sentiment…
ReplyDeleteAnonymous; Thanks for the support. Any ideas for a rescue?
DeleteI can't rescue you but I too have experienced similar events. I recently had someone offer to help me with some repotting of cacti and she had her phone with her the entire time and periodically texted and actually at one point spoke on it. Mine was in my office. It is difficult enough to focus on a task these days without distractions. Cell phones are the worst. Not good for the nervous system. Sadly I have no solutions to this dilemma.
ReplyDeleteInes; Nor do I have any solutions despite my plea for a rescue. At least, I can be grateful my life partner is mostly on the same page as me with this vexing issue.
DeleteIt saddens me as well to see how a great majority of people are umbilically attached to their phones. I too recently attended a concert where 99% of that massive crowd was busily texting or sending photos of the onstage performance. So very sad to me how that the art of conversation is on, or headed, to the endangered list 😢
ReplyDeleteAnonymous #2; Thanks for the comment. Umbilically attached, indeed.
DeleteGood afternoon, Pat. Although there are so many people that I can name that fall into this post, I'd rather add my questions as to why and how they can be so attached that they use their phones while watching TV (movie to TV show), at a concert ( why would you film the concert that you are there seeing live just so you can watch it when you get home when it is no longer live?), or while (attempting) to have a conversation with someone? Now, having said all of that I will admit that I am someone who will turn around if I find that I left home without my phone. But that is solely in the event either of my kids or my wife have to get in touch with me. As for a rescue ... I'm open to suggestions also.
ReplyDeleteBe well,
Bob
Bob; Thanks for the support if not the rescue.
Delete