I work with the public. That in itself can satisfy my fascination with people watching. And of course, I'm not an absolute hermit when not working...I join the human race in my small little bubble of needing groceries and the occasional bag of cat food. So, short of living off of Amazon groceries and quitting my job, I interact with the world nearly every day. And with this interaction comes being witness to THEIR interactions, or lack of in some cases.
My cousin recently blogged about cell phone usage and abuse-age (is that a word? No? It has a nice little jingle to it) as she finds herself in the world of data phones. You can find her complete post HERE.
It IS very easy to see the downfall or negative side of the cellular world. There are times I have seen cellular usage that gives you mental pictures of taking hammers to all the cell phones of the world. When you work with the public, you encounter all walks of life that behave in all sorts of ways. Some, I may agree with, some I may not.
I have heard the clicking of camera phones in our dressing rooms. I have heard multitudes of conversations that would be best left for their ears only. I will never forget hearing the saga of the uncomfortable jail beds while that "stupid bitch" had the balls to take out a restraining order while he was locked up. I have heard the drama, the spouse fighting, the itinerary of the day, and the medical issues, medications, and treatments. Sometimes I hear it because a shopper stops and has the conversation right in front of me. Sometimes they do manage to peruse our racks while carrying on an entire conversation totally unrelated to looking for a summer shirt. (This one I don't understand, because the shopaholic in me could never manage to focus on two things at once...especially where shopping is concerned.) Sometimes, I think they are talking to me, until I reply repeatedly and then see the black little worm protruding from their ear. Occasionally, I hear the state of a person's finances, and trust me, that's not really something you want to be discussing in a store you are about to spend money in. I have attempted (too many times to count) to give a total, run a credit card, or count back change, all the while wondering if this person is paying any attention to me handling their money while they tell Sally all about what a bitch Jenny was last night. Many times, I have to excuse myself while trying to get to a section of the store, with a teenager standing stock still right in my way with her nose in her phone while her mother shops. And then hear the same teen tell mumsie that she didn't see anything on the racks that she wants after she just spent 20 minutes doing whatever it is teens do on cell phones these days. I see (HEAR) people who refuse to ever put the phone to their ear, and instead just always take every call on speakerphone, amplifying the already inappropriate conversation for the entire store full of shoppers to hear. I have transactions interrupted mid-payment so a text message can be answered, or at the very least, so the phone can at least be looked at.
But you know what? Shit happens.
Yes, it is annoying and rude. Yes, it can make my job more difficult to do. But this is a public rudeness that is only amplified by technology...not caused by it. These people would be lacking in manners and etiquette without the phone as well. I can't blame an object for what people do. A person is making the choice to act that way.
I could delve into how technology has progressed far greater than the speed in which humans can become adjusted to it. I could say that in a world where even bowel movements are shared on social media, is it any wonder that personal conversations and interactions with the rest of the world are handled so badly. I could even venture a guess that this age of oversharing has encouraged the general public to have no regards for privacy or boundaries. Hell, working in a small business, in a small community, I am witness to this almost daily. But I'm only allowing myself the time it takes to finish that first load of laundry to type this, so I'll flip a switch and look a this in a different light.
For all the negatives technology brings, so come the positives. And there are ALOT of positives.
My spouse began driving truck 15 years ago....even then, the technology was there, but it was nowhere near as widespread as it is today. So conversations with the kids were limited to the affordability and availability of calling cards. I could not just pick up a phone and find him in the middle of Montana. If there were a family emergency, I would have had to track down his boss (and after hours that would mean calling them at home), and hope to get a dispatch to him that would only let him know to call home as soon as possible. I was truly on my own where daily decisions were concerned, and many times, they were the kind of daily decisions that involved a furnace on fire, a basement flooding, or frozen pipes. Because of technology, my children were suddenly able to say good night to their father every night, to tell him about their day, and I was able to learn how to quickly solve an issue that I had no knowledge or power to resolve. We get to see pictures of Devil's Tower on a misty morning, or the blizzard whipping through the Dakotas, or the most perfect sunset ever.
Obviously, my children had cell phones at a younger age. My son was in grade school and my daughter a middle schooler when they got their first phones. The old fashioned, resistant to technology me was not very pleased, until I realized the bargaining chip I just had thrown into my lap. Yes, they had to learn proper cell phone usage, which included no phones at meals, and what was considered appropriate and safe. We had our issues, but we also had THE POWER. *evil laugh* One of my shining moments was dealing with 15 year old mouth and strife, feeling at my wits end, and having my husband make one call to our cellular company from the comforts of some godforsaken state that shut off her phone mid-conversation. I will forever remember the look of shock and horror on her face when I took the now-dead phone out of her hands and gave her a brief instruction on how to use the ancient phone attached to our wall...with a cord, no less. Because in our house, cell phones are a privilege that is earned. They come with conditions and rules, and those conditions are not just about how the phone is used. It's also about how they behave as members of this household when they are NOT using their phone. Are they attached to their phones? Maybe at one time they were. But these days, it's more common to hear that their phone battery is dead, or to have a message go unanswered for hours because they are doing things where it is forgotten.
Personally, being resistant to the latest and greatest technology, I still appreciate what my own cell phone does for me. It has kept me connected with far away friends. In an instant, regardless of where I am at or what I am doing, I can be available to someone in crisis or need. I use it regularly at work, to update our business Facebook page, which has connected us to hundreds, and occasionally thousands of people, all completely free of charge and gives us a reach that no newspaper ad could ever touch. I also find it invaluable when looking up a product I've never seen before, or needing to know exactly how much money to charge for something...it's a benefit to me AND our clients. It has allowed me instant access to my children, like when my daughter was in a serious car accident, or my son found himself blocks away from home with a broken leg.
Not so long ago, I found myself with the frame of mind that if I wasn't posting to my own Facebook page, it meant that I was having entirely too much fun to bother with social media. But that thought changed when I realized that with that phone with the camera and social media apps, I was toting around a memory maker. Yes, yes, the memories are in my head, and nothing will take that away. But damn, I'm not having to carry around a purse filled with my usual belongings PLUS a camera, whose batteries are questionable and settings I don't understand. I have that handy little camera right there on my phone, which I can actually stick in my pocket and just go. And I can think back to several occasions when that boring digital camera never got picked up and I missed out taking photos. Photos that I would love to look back on to this day. Now, I tell myself to go ahead and be that person sharing all the moments on Facebook. Because Facebook isn't just about sharing, but also about recording the things I may want to remember. *DING!* Epiphany!
So, all that being said....yes, it can be a love/hate relationship with cell phones. Occasionally, I give myself a "no contact" day, which means my phone will either be silenced or shut off for the day. Sometimes, I take a break from all the technology, but only because that is what MY brain needs. But the etiquette comes from each and every one of us. Much of it is common sense, and some of it has to be taught. Some will never learn...that's just the way the cookie crumbles when it comes to common sense. Not just with technology, but with life. But, I think that just as with life, it's all in how you choose to look at it. For me, it's a good thing.
Until I hear another conversation about the mattress on a jail bed, at least.
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