It is safe to say that a majority of people have cell phones. At&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint; they are huge companies for a reason. Snail-mail is beyond dead. We have the fastest way of staying connected, and it is something we should value. One would think that because communication has become easier, staying in touch with friends and family would be simple.
Well, it’s not.
I’ll have to start at the beginning. There are some people that I know, most of whom I do not speak with anymore, who cannot stay in touch with me even though their cell phones are glued to their hips (as the older folks say). They have these fancy phones with huge screens, chic cases, and they are always tap tap tap-ing the day away.
It certainly is a challenge to try and strike up a conversation with people like this. I try to make eye contact with them, but instead their eyes are popping out of the sockets to look at their tiny screens, nodding at the appropriate time just to make me think they are paying attention.
Since the person appears to be readily available to answer a text, call or an email, you would assume getting a hold of them would be a walk in the park.
No answer.
Maybe then you try again?
No answer.
After frantically typing profanities or calling them endlessly, you give up. They finally realize you exist and reply with something like, “Lol sorry I didn’t have my phone on me :D”
You would think that since the person always sesms to have their phone out at any social gathering, meeting, school, or car ride, answering you would be no problem. Yet, they seem MIA when you try to get a hold of them.
Have you known someone like this?
I have had acquaintances that groan to me about how “we never text anymore.” Since I care about the relationships I have, I had decided to text my “friends” more often. Yet when I would reach out to them, their messages were so mundane I wanted to hurl my phone across the room and never speak to another soul again. We didn’t even talk about anything. It’s just “hahahah” this and “omg i know” that. What is the point of making my fingers work for no reason?! I’m tired of hearing that we don’t text anymore. What about conversing face-to-face? Where did it go?
I guess perhaps the reason I am so disgruntled with the texting world is because my major requires a somewhat platform of communicating with others properly. I believe in correct grammer and work choice, and it’s a shame to see what is becoming of me because of my texting. Everything is abbreviated and slang, and all we do is laugh. I normally don’t “hahhahahaha” to all of my friends, but what else is there to say in the text-o-sphere? I have no desire to waste my time talking to someone who won’t talk back. “Lol,” “haha” and “okay,” is not a conversation in my book.
Like my dad always says in his old-man-manner, “Cell phones are ruining the generations. No one really wants to talk to each other, they just can.”
Dad, I may have to agree with you. All we care about is what is happening online, or virtually, and when it comes time to talk face to face, everyone seems clueless. Believe it or not, there is a world outside. All we need to do is look up from our phones every once and a while.
Moore with Madi 