More technology please? or Are we too connected?

[KimberlyH]

I started to respond in the thread about the new phone that people are waiting in line for but didn''t want to hijack, so am starting a new thread.

What camp do you fall in? Are we too connected as a society? Or can you not get enough?

 

[KimberlyH]

Sorry for the double post, Irina!

 

[Skippy123]

Sometimes I think we are a little too conected. When I see friends doing lunch a phone interrupts, then I feel we are too connected. I think I am somewhere in the middle. The only thing that bothers me when I am shopping people will be on their phones talking too loud about super personal stuff or they will be on their phone in a public bathroom. The latter always grosses me out!!!!

 

[Kaleigh]

Hmmm, tough question. As far as my kids are concerned, I am glad we are connected through cell phones, emails and texting. It''s been a god send as a parent. Now my husband is addicted and attached to that dam* crackberry. I have dreams of throwing it away, hehe. As technology advances I see it only getting worse, or better depends how you look at it. I don''t want the new phone. I want a break from the internet when I go out and don''t want emails at my fingertips. I carry a cell phone, that''s it. Great thread, it will be interesting to see what everyone thinks.

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 6/29/2007 10:55:12 AM
Author:KimberlyH
I started to respond in the thread about the new phone that people are waiting in line for but didn''t want to hijack, so am starting a new thread.


What camp do you fall in? Are we too connected as a society? Or can you not get enough?

what do you think, Kimberly?

 

[mrssalvo]

ha kimberly, you could have hijacked my thread, I wouldn''t care at all

I pretty much like the connection too. especially being able to reach our kids(the big ones) very quickly and easily. I don''t really care what I have as far as a phone is concerned, although having my email come to it would be nice at times when I waiting to get a response for something important. My hubby on the other hand will have a huge advantage in his business with the new phone. He got a blackberry (too funny kaleigh on the crackberry) when they came out and quick responses to emails are key to his business so from that side it''s wonderful for him. he doesn''t live at a desk and is on the go so in general the technology is a good thing. on the flip side though computers are getting smarter and smarter that it has really changed business models and making it harder for smaller business to keep running.

 

[sumbride]

I personally cannot stand how people use cell phones these days. It''s like they need to tell people EXACTLY what they''re doing ALL the time!!! It''s so annoying. I take the train every day and all around me are people chatting about nothing, and I mean NOTHING. blah blah blah... shut up already!

I remember reading a columnist that said "is this call one you would pay for if you had to?" meaning you''d go find a pay phone and put in money and make the call... or is it just "because you can." That''s how you differentiate important vs. fluff. I wish more people did that. Sure, it''s nice to remind hubby to pick up spaghetti sauce, but that''s not what most of the calls I hear are about.

I love email, but I won''t be getting a blackberry because I value my downtime. I don''t want an iphone. I just want to be left alone sometimes!!

 

[KimberlyH]

I hate my cell phone. I only bring it with me if I''m driving a long distance alone. This drives DH crazy, he always says "What if something happens to you!" to which I reply, "I''ll borrow someone''s phone; I can garuantee I''m the only person who won''t be carrying one!"

I think people forget that they are out in public when they are on the phone. I''ve heard people give out their social security numbers, address, childrens names, birth dates, medical information, and share their sexual and drinking escapades with friends while on the phone in public. It''s also become an excuse for people not to be polite (Hold open a door for someone? Can''t they see I''m on the phone!?, Greet a store clerk? I''m in the middle of a conversation!)

There are some definite advantages to cell phones (business related, etc.) but they''ve also left us disconnected in a lot of ways. We sat next to two people at dinner last week, he was visiting from out of town, the two of them, who were clearly old friends, spent the entire evening on their respective blackberrys. Aside from being annoying, it made me really sad. We also went to a baseball game and the woman behind us spent 1/2 the game yapping on the phone about plans for that evening while the person next to me elbowed me repeatedly in the midst of his text messaging. What''s so bad about just being wherever it is you are and enjoying that place and the people you are spending that time with?

I guess I just don''t get it.

 

[KimberlyH]

Date: 6/29/2007 11:20:32 AM
Author: mrssalvo
ha kimberly, you could have hijacked my thread, I wouldn't care at all

I pretty much like the connection too. especially being able to reach our kids(the big ones) very quickly and easily. I don't really care what I have as far as a phone is concerned, although having my email come to it would be nice at times when I waiting to get a response for something important. My hubby on the other hand will have a huge advantage in his business with the new phone. He got a blackberry (too funny kaleigh on the crackberry) when they came out and quick responses to emails are key to his business so from that side it's wonderful for him. he doesn't live at a desk and is on the go so in general the technology is a good thing. on the flip side though computers are getting smarter and smarter that it has really changed business models and making it harder for smaller business to keep running.

I understand the whole reaching kids thing, but I don't think I as a parent would hand a cell phone over to my kid without rules attached. DH and I have discussed this and we agree we'd have an extra phone on hand for when our (non-existent) kids were going to be away from us, but that it would live in a drawer the rest of the time and if they needed to use the phone they could use the house phone.

My husband runs his own business, and his cell phone is a huge part of that. He has tenants that need to be able to reach him at all hours. And when he cared for his mom she needed to be able to reach him as well. But he will stand up and leave the room (seeking privacy) to take all phone calls and then return when he's done so no one has to listen to him discussing borken pipes, investment ops, etc. I would go batty if in the middle of a family dinner he sat at the table and discussed business with one of his associates.

I see what you're saying, and agree with you. My feelings about being too connected are because most people use their phones for pleasure not for business and important matters and it can be quite disruptive to those around them.

 

[strmrdr]

Way too connected.
I hate cell phones and less than 2 dozen people have my number.
Send me an email or call and leave a message on my home phone but don''t bug me when I''m doing something!!

 

[Mannequin]

I am 25 and personally I love my internet and cell, as that is the best way to get in touch with me anywhere. I know when to turn things off and walk away, though, and I have lots of hobbies and interests that don''t involve sitting in front of a screen. I think on a whole we are getting to be too attached to technology, especially among people in my generation and younger.

I am starting to witness negative results of too much technology when I am in the classroom with "wired" kids, where I''ve seen everything from assignment plagiarism with content ripped right from Wikipedia to kids who won''t turn in a basic assignment because they couldn''t type it and had to handwrite it during class. Handwriting for my current middle schoolers is atrocious because they don''t write anything anymore, and IM-speak peppers all of their work - who turns in a final copy of a paper that uses "U" for "you" and "cuz" for "because"????? I''ve noticed a serious problem with telling time on analog clocks, too. They use the digital time on their cell phones or on my computer screen to fill out hall passes because they can''t read the hands on the clock on the wall and they don''t wear watches. Plus, when all of these kids are so tech-saavy and gear-oriented, it takes me longer to put together an engaging lesson because a lot of standard tried and true teaching methods are boring to them now. I spend many hours trying to "computerize" basic lessons to present concepts and make them interactive and interesting, but even that doesn''t always work. Also, these kids tell me that they sit online chatting with friends, surfing Myspace, and playing games all day after they get home, and many of them are very unfit. Heaven forbid you pull the plug and tell them to go play outside, they wouldn''t know what to do with themselves! I see continued tech use leading to poorer interpersonal skills and social skills in the end, when people won''t know how to interact with each other face to face anymore, based on what I am seeing in my students now.

 

[Mara]

definitely too connected. it drives me nuts when people check email or whatever at dinner on their crackberry. or answer a call in the middle of a movie. it even bugs me sometimes when people CALL me. hahah. sometimes i hate answering the phone. i like the internet on my own terms, not forced on me. i think companies expect more out of you now that everyone IS so connected. where does it end really.

 

[AmberWaves]

Along the lines of what Equestrienne said, I had a friend who teaches high school english to students who speak english at school and spanish at home. This teacher (who is no longer a friend of mine) posts all their assignments on her MYSPACE page, and she constantly types in shortened phrases "pls remember to corrct spling." It drove me mad, because these kids already don''t know how to write well, and she''s encouraging them to write like she does with the "u" and "l8r". She''s supposed to be their teacher, and her own myspace page has WINNIE THE POOH and sparkly letters and butterflies? Come on.

We are WAY too connected.

 

[Cehrabehra]

the dh and I are technophiles... I cannot even begin to tell how wired we are. I want to be MORE wired, but I want less time invested in it. For example. I want a voice activated search system that I can activate during dinner with a screeen that comes down over the painting so that we can further our debates LOL My daughter had to do a project for school and it was create your family crest and my dd said hers would have a beaker on it because our family was always talking about science at dinner LOL I want to live in the Eureka house with Sara LOL So I want MORE technology (as does the dh) but I want to spend less time using it - where as the dh is perfectly content to get utterly lost in it. I like silence and sunshine. He likes room darkening drapes and surround sound LOL And I do too but just not all the time. He''d be happy all the time.

 

[Cehrabehra]

oh, but we''re not getting the phone, we both have treos and have not gone apple... but I have been wanting to go apple for a few years now and he discourages it... but one day ::shaking fist:: I will leave his grip!! LOL

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 6/29/2007 11:20:33 AM
Author: sumbride
I personally cannot stand how people use cell phones these days. It's like they need to tell people EXACTLY what they're doing ALL the time!!! It's so annoying. I take the train every day and all around me are people chatting about nothing, and I mean NOTHING. blah blah blah... shut up already!

I remember reading a columnist that said 'is this call one you would pay for if you had to?' meaning you'd go find a pay phone and put in money and make the call... or is it just 'because you can.' That's how you differentiate important vs. fluff. I wish more people did that. Sure, it's nice to remind hubby to pick up spaghetti sauce, but that's not what most of the calls I hear are about.

I love email, but I won't be getting a blackberry because I value my downtime. I don't want an iphone. I just want to be left alone sometimes!!

That is so true!!!

People on the phone while using the toilet is still so gross. Sometimes I feel like shouting out that I need some quiet in here.

Seriously, I DO NOT get that one!!!

Also, I will be at the grocery store and someone will be stopped in the middle of the aisle talking and blocking you or standing next to something you need while on the phone. They look at you like you are bothering them!!!! Okay, I will stop venting.

 

[AmberWaves]

I totally agree with you, Skippy!! OMG, when someone is in the bathroom on the phone, I can''t *DO* anything! I don''t want the other end of the phoneline to hear ME, maybe the person doesn''t care about someone else hearing *her*, but I care!

 

[Mara]

OH MY GOD skippy you totally hit on one of my biggest grossout pet peeves. people talking on the cell in the bathroom! WTH is that?! other people are peeing and flushing and someone is carrying on a convo in their stall. UGH. drives me CRAZY. there was a woman at my old work who used to do this like DAILY. i hated being in there with her.

 

[Maisie]

My sister came for Christmas dinner a couple of years ago. She spent the whole day sending her boyfriend messages on her phone and then calling him for about an hour. I was so annoyed with her!

I think cell phones have their place (for emergencies etc) but when you are out with someone or supposedly spending quality time you should switch it off

 

[KimberlyH]

Some study came out about a year ago that 1/4 of people talking on cell phones aren''t really talking to anyone, they''re just holding it to their ear and pretending. This cracked me up!

One of our local grocery stores (not a chain) has a sign posted that customers who are on the phone should step aside and finish their conversation before proceeding to checkout.

I dread the day that cellphones are allowed on airplanes (the FAC has been discussing this issue for years and can''t come to a conclusion). The guy with the blue tooth spouting corporate buzzwords is the last person I want to spend any amount of time sitting next to on a plane, it''s bad enough I have to be subjected to him while waiting to board!

 

[kcoursolle]

I''m somewhere in the middle. Obviously since I spend about an hour a day on pricescope I have to have the internet and I really couldn''t live without it. I would like to see a computer kiosk at every corner LOL.

However, with cell phones...I often turn them off. I like to spend an evening out with fi or friends and spend time with *them* and not whoever is calling me. It drives people nuts who are trying to meet up with me, but I value my intimate time with friends and family and having in-depth conversations without interruptions.

 

[monarch64]

I''m all for technology but I wish people paid more attention to etiquette when they''re in public. I like having my cellphone but I dislike using it in public because I don''t want everyone knowing my personal business.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

We pretty much just give our number to family members. It has been essential for our older kids. I almost never chit-chat on a cell phone. I use it to call and tell a family member when I will be home or ask what they want for dinner and that kind of thing. The kids call to check in or more importantly when they have car trouble and that kind of thing. Our oldest daughter (21) called today while we were driving home from the beach to tell us she had been offered a teaching job for the fall! So most of our calls have purpose.

On the other hand, I spend much more time on the internet. I watch almost zero TV, so it is used for entertainment and information. I rarely go anywhere where I do not have internet access so I can at least check email.

 

[suzi]

Wow, great question! I am of two minds on this subject. One one hand, our cell phones and email have been a God send when it comes to keeping our family in touch. We all live scattered about, and the long distance phone bills would be astronomical if we couldn''t use email and call each other on our cell phones (we''ve all co-ordinated so that we are using the same provider and can call each other for free). As a parent, I also love having cell phones so that I can be in contact with my kids when we are not all together. Both of my kids have a cell phone, and so far they have not abused them. My daughter has never even used up all of her minutes in any given month, shock of all shocks! My husband works out of town a lot, and would often be unreachable if it were not for a cell phone. I never leave the house without my cell phone, because I want my kids, my husband, and my parents to always be able to contact me if they need to.

I do agree with some of the comments that the rest of you have made about people who seem to abuse cell phones in public, though. I also hate listening to people chat away on their cell phones in public restrooms, in check out lines at the grocery store, in movie theaters and sporting events, and in restaurants. I think it''s very rude, in fact. I can understand the need to take a call or make a call in any of those circumstances (like if you are on a night out and there is a problem with the kids and the sitter is trying to reach you, or if you are at the grocery store and you want to call home and check to see if anyone needs you to pick something up while you are there) but to just sit there and gossip or chat away about nothing in particular can be very annoying to others. If you need to make or take a call, is it so hard to excuse yourself, go off in private to have your conversation, and most of all...make it brief? Seeing those earphone thingies sticking out of people''s ears also kind of gets on my nerves, too. They kind of look like they are talking to themselves...lol.

 

[Picos]

I''m a computer junky but mostly it''s so I dont have to talk to people. Yeah, I''m anti-social and anytime someone laments to me about not being able to reach me I say "Oh, the phone was in the other room & I was playing the Sims." However, it''s usually not true.

I have a mobile phone but I only carry it because I''m alone alot. I''m alone alot because I''d rather do things alone, hehe. That and I have this horriable nightmare about driving alone & getting stuck somewhere deserted. I live in the city so it''s pretty much nonplausable.

I don''t have a land line so it''s hard when the fiance comes over to my apartment since he doesn''t have a mobile (he has a land line) so I''d say I''m not connected enough. But, there''s only been a few times when he hasn''t been able to reach me.

I like AIM/Yahoo!; when I don''t feel like talking, I just dont sign on. I guess I could screen my calls on my mobile but I''d rather just not answer it when I''m cooking dinner or whatnot.