Contributed by Jordon Scheibe, Junior at Redmond High School
Oh my gosh! So I texted him saying “Hey,” then he texted back saying “What’s up?” and I said I was “just chilin’ at home on Facebook, you?” and he texted back saying “sweet.” What does that mean!? Is it sarcastic, does it mean he doesn’t want talk to me? Does it mean he really thought it was sweet that I was on Facebook? Did he not see the “you?” Maybe he is really busy and can’t talk right now, but I don’t want to be nosy and text him again. That would be TOTALLY against the rules.
Right now I would just like to say the previous scenario is not an actual conversation, It is so impersonal that you can’t really consider that any form of talking. Our present day life is filled with technology. It does almost everything for us. What ever happened to waking up when the sun came through the window and the rooster cock-a-doodle-dooed? We have alarm clocks now that get us up at ungodly hours. And as much as I love the light bulb and Tom Edison, if we didn’t have light bulbs we wouldn’t stay up late, and we would all be rested.
When my father was a young lad, he lived ear Audubon and Idylwood Park and his good friend Danny lived over on the Plateau near Eastlake. When he wanted to go hang with Danny he would put all his clothes and shoes and whatever else he needed in a plastic bag and swim across the lake. Now that is true dedication. My father was born in this era, he probably would have texted Danny, told him to get on Xbox Live to play COD (Call of Duty), put on the ridiculous headset and sat on his behind for four hours.
Where is the sincerity in today’s relationships? It takes no work to talk to someone, so what does it mean if they just flip open their phone and send a text, its almost meaningless. It really gives the saying, “it’s the thought that counts,” a whole new meaning. It literally is a thought, plus a few quick movement to get the phone, whip it open and push little buttons a few times to get in contact with anyone.
Everyone has cell phones now a days. Even my great grandfather has one! Granted he only knows how to dial and call; the rest of the features on the phone are just to much for him. Every single one of my friends has a cell phone and will usually have it on them at all times. Whenever someone wants to bet a hold of friend, it takes a few moments and you are in contact. The call is so instant. There is no checking the mailbox and waiting for a letter. Where is the fun in cell phones? It has been said that the wait is half the journey. If we keep getting everything we want it in an instant, then we have nothing to look forward to. No excitement or suspense. And no, the three long minutes you have to wait for a text message back doesn’t count.
What ever happened to courting? Young men who were interested in a certain girl would write her letters and spend time with her family. Now a guy will text multiple girls at one time with no sincerity. A by-product is now there are these semi-relationships called “thing,” where they like each other and are off limits, but there isn’t any attachment??! I call that confusing. Every person I’ve talked that says they are in a “thing” is just plain confused. There is no clarity in the guy’s intentions if he hasn’t asked her out by now. But there is instant gratification you are together with someone, even if it isn’t official; and these things unusually happen quick and end quick. It’s an empty relationship because neither people have spent time together getting to know each other and are shocked when the infatuation fades away and they see they really didn’t know this person after all.
Technology can be a very helpful thing, and with the right mindset it can be used to help form lasting relationships. But, if we let technology keep taking over our lives, we will end up like the people on Wall-E: fat on floating chairs on a space cruise drinking our liquidated food in a cup and playing virtual golf with the guy in the next chair over from us. (755 words)
-- Jordan Scheibe,
Feature Editor of Redmond High School’s “The Blaze” , January 30, 2009
Blaze Advisor: jmauck@lwsd.org
Published in "The Blaze", Volume 44 Issue 4
I met my dear wife in September 1968 at the dining hall of McMahon Hall, University of Washington. We were both transfer students from other schools, and were just beginning our Junior year of undergraduate studies. We did have a thing going on, and we did "study" together. We didn't have cell phones or personal computers back in the Summer of Love. But we did get to know about each other while "studying" together. "Studying" together is, of course, a well known, social science.
ReplyDeleteAnd I think that is the point of Jordon Scheibe's article: GET OUT AND SOCIALIZE! Don't get me wrong, I am NOT against texting, twitting, even e-mail. But I feel there is no substitute for FACE TIME.
From RUMI - 13th century poet:
Lovers don’t finally meet somewhere
they’re in each other all along.
in the powerful lines denouncing all divisions of religion
that cause conflict between people,
Two hands, two feet, two eyes, good,
as it should be, but no separation
of the Friend and your loving.