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Wow. I am in my twenties, but when I eat dinner with someone, anyone, I want to spend time with them. My phone will always be there, but I can't get the moment back ever. It is obvious that some people feel entitled and have never been taught how to behave in civilized company.
It's the "new rudeness". In what may be the only time in my lifetime that I had a chance to hear Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition give a very personal, short speech to a small gathering the "peach bums" who had been speaking to him in
French were busy texting about something during his speech.
Location: Huntersville/Charlotte, NC and Washington, DC
26,700 posts, read 41,758,476 times
Reputation: 41381
Quote:
Originally Posted by Duchamp Dude
Dude, there's nothing wrong with you or me.
The only person I care about in the world now are my mother and my brother. And now, it's my girlfriend.
I have a huge family of rando uncles, aunts, cousins and grand-parent figures I haven't associated myself with in years, though I keep hearing they are upset I am so disconnected and that they "need" to see me.
In a situation like that, I'm only doing them a favour if I show up, as I clearly do not need an extended family and unnecessary gift-buying and chatter to up my self-worth.
And yes, my devices and social media, and my work phone always are tied to me like an appendage. And I'm sorry it offended you that I'm not listening to how you made your cookies which only make me fat.
Yeah, my liberal, non-religious self should really go to see my socially hyper-conservative, super-Christian extended family so we can start stupid arguments over a meal. Never mind that none of them have talked to me or my mother for years. Really.
Wow. I am in my twenties, but when I eat dinner with someone, anyone, I want to spend time with them. My phone will always be there, but I can't get the moment back ever. It is obvious that some people feel entitled and have never been taught how to behave in civilized company.
Not every younger generation person is cell phone obsessed during holidays and it is nice to hear from one. I agree 100%. Our family collects the cell phones during the holdiay dinners and gives them back afterwards.
He's the kids father so yeah, he is still part of the family as long as they want him to be.
This bears repeating MANY times.
So your sister chose a poor mate. He is still the father of those children and he always will be father of those children, whether the parents are married or not. Good for them for being mature.
Wow- that's crazy... we don't use cell phones at the table in our house, and when we have guests, we require the same thing. Literally we all just stare at the person and say "we don't use cell phones at the table" which in my experience has always resulted in that person looking ashamed and putting the phone away- ha!
I'd love to see how some of the posters who are puffing out their chests try to threaten and push around the 20-somethings who are probably independent adults on no cell phone use period, talking your house, your rules. Your house may not be a democracy but it is also not Alcatraz, I'd just leave if people were that OCD about not using my phone. I would not want to be around people who go Nazi if I leave the table to take a message, family or no family. Some of the ones puffing their chests are probably not pleasant people to be around anyway, so I would not be in their presence in the first place.
I specifically said that those who feel compelled to be texting or updating FB during TG dinner should leave the table.
Old people need to accept that this is the norm and quit bitching about it.
You know, none of the younger folks are dying to go eat thanksgiving dinners anyway, diners are always open. But it's the old ones who insist to see the entire family and do whatever it is they need to do before they kick the bucket. I have better things to do like - laundry, work out and getting things ready for next week's work or better, spend all day in bed with Duchamp Girl (though I had to humour her by going to her family dinner).
If I am making an appearance, I am doing someone a favour. They should be more than happy that I showed up, WITH my phone
I really, really hope that all your elderly relatives leave you in their will is a bag phone.
Some people might feel uncomfortable at social gatherings or family gatherings because they do not cope well with large groups of people, so will sit quietly and find something to do as an excuse not to engage in discussion. If it's extended family, then the people visiting may well be strangers for all intents and purposes and people may not feel comfortable talking to one another because they hardly know each other. I have a lot of extended family members and I barely know anyone them and haven't talked to them in years. If they suddenly came over and insisted on Christmas lunch, I'd feel a bit uncomfortable. I don't really have any interest in forging a relationship that never really existed.
That's just me though. If you don't want to go to Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas dinner, then don't - just stay at home. Why would you force yourself to go to a place where you'd spend most of the time disengaged from everyone else? Unless you're a minor, nobody is going to force you to go.
In a really twisted way, the defense of smartphone dependence at the expense of interpersonal contact actually frees one up to more easily CARE about so many things...
You daughter selling Girl Scout cookies? No, I won't answer my door, but maybe I'll tweet about it.
Friend have breast cancer? Bummer, I'll post a link to Facebook.
Lost your job and need a lift in spirits? I'll endorse you on LinkedIn.
Bum ankle and can't get out to shovel your driveway? I'll send you my favorite weather app so you can see when better weather's coming.
Boy it feels good to be so connected and helpful.
Yeah, quantity over quality. I can just sense the vast improvement of the human condition...
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