RSS
Home
Teens and passive communication
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
.jpeg)
Phone chats no more?
I have a fear about the current generation of pre-teens and teens. I fear that their style of communication – texting, instant-messaging, Facebook and MySpace – will not only leave them with an inability to converse intelligently, but may also lead to all kinds of social issues.
First, I must confess that I am the self-declared queen of passive communication. I do not really care for long chats on the phone and I don’t exactly relish the idea of making small talk. I love e-mail for the freedom that it gives me: The ability to say something exactly how I want it said with little room for interpretation. And, if needed, I can even inject an emotion to help my cause. Sometimes that can be difficult to carry off in-person.
When I was a teen, some families had TWO phone numbers – one for the house and one for the kids. The idea was that, if they could afford it, these families could avoid their teenagers tying up the phone line with LONG teen conversations. I personally remember spending HOURS on the phone with my friends.
Today, at our house, we can go days and NEVER hear the phone ring. I can’t even remember the last time that my teenage daughter talked on our “land line,” let alone her cell phone. Sure, her friends could call her on her cell phone, but I would say 90% of her communication is passive – i.e. texting or messaging. In fact, we’ve had arguments about the fact that she’s reluctant to pick up the phone and speak “live” to her friends. I also think it leads to an inability to express yourself in an appropriate manner.
My point is that this generation of kids is losing the art of conversation. Sure they talk to each other during school, but more and more, we, as parents, are competing against all of the tiny gadgets that they carry around to stay in touch with their friends. How many of you have gone to a restaurant with your kids, started a conversation, and then suddenly realized that your teen is not really listening to you but instead is texting his/her friends?
I also find that my teens get annoyed by prolonged conversations. It’s almost as if they’d like to stop and type GTG (got to go) in an effort to end something uncomfortable or, gasp!, boring.
So what’s the answer? I think we have to demand some unplugged time with our teens. And the first way to do that is to add a family dinner or two to our weekly meals. I know, kids who are involved and active don’t have the time. I think we have to demand the time. Our kids are just that important.
Related Articles:
Comments
