I have an aul gra for mass generalisations but I think it’s fair to say that we would all be fairly lost without our phones. The phone is no longer a privilege of the wealthy but really an everyday necessity. From 8 to 80 everyone has one. Some people even have two. The way we communicate with one another has changed so much. Could you even imagine writing a letter to someone and having to wait weeks maybe even months for a reply? Everything these days is about the instant fix. We really don’t like to have to wait for anything and our phones afford us that luxury.
You can chat or text anyone anywhere in the world. Now grant it, most of us are texting our other halves to stick the kettle on or to bring some toilet roll upstairs but the potential is there to text someone in Brazil, if you knew anyone in Brazil.People who once seemed so far away can be talked to morning noon and night. Grandparents can see their children’s children grow even though in some cases they have never had the pleasure of holding them in their arms.
You no longer have to travel to a meeting you can just conference call and do all your business without having to leave your office. I’m not sure if the government is aware of that aspect of modern communication because they are happy to hop on a plane at a minutes’ notice. So if someone could politely drop them a memo that’d be great!
I am without a shadow of a doubt a textaholic. I’m so used to texting people that when my phone rings my exact thought is.
Why the hell are you ringing me? Why can’t you just text like a normal person!
I have no way of explaining why I’m like this but I would rather text for 15 minutes than pick up the phone and sort it all out in 3 minutes flat.
I remember when texting came in first, it was in no way, shape or form an acceptable way of formally communicating with someone like, let’s say your boss. Now letters come through the doors that give you a number to text. Even in my course a text is allowed, in fact encouraged if you are delayed or sick and you are not attending that day.
I talk to my friends most days…. Now when I say talk I mean text… sure it’s the same thing isn’t it? Well actually no it’s not. We are losing so much by using electronic messages so much. Tone is lost. You cannot tell from black and white print what tone someone is using. You read it in what you think is the tone and let’s face it we have all made mistakes with that one!
It’s not your true thoughts that come out. It’s well thought out constructed sentences because you are not in the middle of a conversation that is flowing. You can think about what you want to say and correct things before you hit that magic send button. Unless you are drunk at 3 am of a Saturday night and we all know that you should have to have a breathalyzer before we operate our phones at that hour.
I am a fantastically witty person via texts. Sure who isn’t? You have time to think of your witty retort. Even ask the person next to you…… well? What will I say? In fact you could have to attribute your hilarity to about four people by the time you perfect your reply! It’s all just a little false.
I know it’s not going anywhere and to be honest I don’t really want it to. I love a good aul text fest. But I think like everything in life it’s about balance. Pick up the phone once a week and check in on people. Make an effort to have a group meet up along with your group texts. In a nation of story tellers it’s time to reduce the face to phone and bring back a bit of face to face.
Blush, Belly and Babies 