Community Chat

[esmerelda]

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@JJsMom wrote:

Ha ha. Everyone is complaining about de-humanization (is that a word? lol) as they post to a bunch of strangers on a screen.

Many of you use this place for friendship, to air dirty laundry, or give detailed medical updates on yourself or your spouse, instead of interacting with "real" people.

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Hopefully they aren't sitting at a table having a meal with their family while they post here.

[raven-blackbird]

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@Mominohio wrote:

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@Moonchilde wrote:

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@Mominohio wrote:

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@jaxs mom wrote:

It's really no one elses business. I know adults that are autism spectrum that bring their electronic devices out to restaurants and it's helpful for them to cope with what would otherwise be a very stressful environment. I just try and mind my own business and not worry about it, especially when we have no idea what's going on with other people. It's not like we are talking about loud drunks distrupting the whole restaurant. Now that I can see being unhappy about. 

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This is just excuse making for the anti social behaviour that  is now the norm.

It's everyone's business when children and the elderly are being ignored, because people are too busy with their social media and 24/7 obsession with the phones. 

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So, just to be clear - since it's "everyone's business", will you be confronting the "offenders" to their faces and telling them off? Reporting them to the cell phone police? Social services? What, exactly would you be doing, since it would apparently be *your* business? Just curious.

@Moonchilde

Individual situations call for individual responses. But when people who need attention of those around them, aren't getting that attention , yes, I will say something. I did speak to the mother of the baby in the grocery store. One doesn't have to be mean or confrontational, but saying something as simple as "What a beautiful baby. (I asked the age, commented on how many teeth were in already for such a young age) Enjoy this time with him/her, as they grow so fast, and believe it or not, you miss it so much when it is gone. As tired as it makes you, I do remember that, it is over in the blink of an eye. I can't believe my own son is 20 already. It seems like yesterday that he was sitting in the cart and full of smiles".

And that is pretty much the conversation I had with this mother. 

The son and father in the other example given here, could have easily been approached the same way. Simply starting a conversation with people, often begins a process or exchange that can make people think without being preachy or out of line.

Some of the posters on this forum have no idea that you can become involved with things you see that you don't think are right, or would like to change, simply by being polite, friendly, and conversational with people, but their sole purpose is to be confrontational and attempt to make people look foolish or intimidate them. 

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@Mominohio

Personally I think you handled that situation beautifully.............................raven

[Mominohio]

@raven-blackbird

Thanks for that.

As I posted before, there have been times, where someone older and wiser than I was at the time, engaged me in a conversation, and imparted some wisdom that I was too young to see clearly without some guidance, or simply by their kind inquiries and discourse, allowed me to see things through the eyes of someone who had 'been there' or lived life without what I had been blessed with, and it made a difference in my life.

Not everyone ( or many) that we come in contact with will 'get it', but you just never know what your words and especially the manner in which they are delivered, will mean to someone.

[Shorty2U]

Thanks for the replies. I see some of you dealt with this too while out and or with your family. I guess its the new way but well I just found it sad with the dad and son.

I just wanted to add my daughter and 2 grandkids would go on the phone while visiting (My son, son in law, and 1 grandkid never did it) Well. I said something long ago (a few years now), and they dont do it anymore UNLESS Im watching my grandkids like this Summer (2 days a week).

Then I dont mind if the grandkids go on their phones at times or play our Wii or something because Im watching them 2X a week, its not like visiting at holidays or family dinners if you get my drift. I realize kids do this for entertaiment like games we would play back in the day (which I still do with my grandkids also (play board games etc)..

So as long as we are not eating a meal at the time or baking cookies or playing a board game together or something, fine the grandkids can go on their phones this Summer all they want here being they are here all day long

Lastly I can relate to the kids texting too. I hate texting and rarely do it so my kids and grand kids text to my email since I am home most days and use my laptop. BUT sometimes they also call me too because its a pain to type a whole paragraph or a story of something I want to tell them or them tell me in a text. lol.