Do ever find yourself texting a person (friend, family member, spouse) in the next room?? ?

Question

Do you think technology has made us....well....lazy, even more so than we already were. Does having practically everything at our 'fingertips' make us socially handicap? I mean, honestly, how many times have you 'removed' yourself from a conversation or situation by simply texting or calling someone (or pretending to text, or do something 'important' on your phone....like say play a demo version of midnite pool)??? Or how many times have you not been able to remember someones phone number, because your used to just finding their name in your phonebk and hitting 'SEND'. ?? I'm an 80's baby, so I remember when you had to memorize all the important phone numbers. Now I barely even remember my OWN number. Does this technology make us more connected but at the same time disabled socially? The paradox of technology? Opinions?

Answer 1

I have done it to ask someone to come outside and help me carry in groceries from the car lol

Answer 2

Well, I have never texted anyone!

I guess at 52 I am too old to get the point....   I have emailed a lot, though.  That, I love!!!

I tried the MSN chat stuff, but, typing messages to someone who is basically on the end of a phone line, seems kinda silly to me.

I have tried webcam calls, where you can talk and see, that is a whole lot more fun.  But, the webcams, or the net are still too slow, because the frame rate reminds me of those early WWI movies...

I do own a cell phone, a most useful device.  And Yes, I programmed it with all my phone numbers and stuff.  I use it as an electronic rolodex, to remember stuff for me. I have no idea what I will do should I ever get another cell phone, unless they have some magical way of transferring the info over.  

If I lose the phone, just shoot me.

I use the address book on my pc, and I love it.  It stores everything for me.  I also love outlook express for sending stuff out.  The best app Microsoft has done yet, and not screwed up yet, might be wordpad.

I regularly back up my address book, because if I ever lost the info in it, I would simply die right there. I even email copies, to myself, at 2 addies, after I have exported it to a file.

But texting?  I can't figure it out.  WHY?  If I want to give some one a message, then I have 2 choiuces:  email, or a phone call.  Why I would send a message they might never get, when I can actually talk to them is beyond my ken.  

I remember when phones were tied to the wall with rotary dials.  My new cordless home phone that remembers 20 numbers is a dream.

Yes, this technology does make us more connectable, but we still, fight, sulk, and refuse to call people for stupid reasons.

As for being disabled socially, well you've got that one pegged right!

Yes, technology is a paradox.

Example 1:

For instance, after XP, comes the "It SUCKS! of Vista!"

Example 2:

After Office 2003, comes the ribbon of Office 2007, with its lack of customizability, and it's space hogging.  Why should the people at MS ever think they can organize my software features/functions better than I can?

  

I think we need to sit down, stop changing things just for the sake of change, and just fix the stuff we have so that it simply works.

Answer 3

Well, we do have something here called a "mayachok"- a free sms (text) that tells the person "call me". It is meant to be used when you're out of phone credit, but we use it to tell each other that dinner is ready, or goodnight, or hi depending on how you agreed it to mean between the two of you.

So now I am waiting for a mayachok from my friend here, when it comes it means she is done showering and I can go use the shower next :-D

I memorise the endings of phone numbers... like my friend's ends with ....423. There's really no need in memorising it though, if I lose it there's plenty of people to ask.....

I have Mom and Dad's #s memorised though. 4 of them ^_^

Answer 4

I suppose I'm a little guilty only because my 10 year old thinks it's fun to text me from her dad's phone in her bedroom.  It's almost always silly stuff though, except the one time her text went something like this:  "Sorry mom.  I borrowed your makeup to use on my dolls and now you have none left."  And of course her door was locked.   So I suppose testing makes confession a little easier.