Talk to me

I love technology. I really do. If it weren’t for technology you wouldn’t be reading this right now. But I have a beef about the direction our society is going. We sacrifice one form of communication for another. Talking has been replaced by texting. 

My cousin John explained to me people prefer texting because it enables them to multitask. That only strengthens my case. You see, I liked it when you were talking to someone without any competition. 

While I have appreciated call-waiting when I have been waiting for a call from a physician, I don’t like the fact you can be on the phone with someone and bumped at any time. 

I admit change is hard for me, but I can adapt. I appreciate caller ID which alerts me to still another telemarketer. 

I hate running to the phone to find out it’s just a recorded message. The sound effects that simulate someone typing on keys make me laugh. Do they really think we are buying that? 

In a psychology class I remember hearing about a study done with a group of monkeys. They wanted to prove the importance of touch. Separating monkeys into two groups they treated them identically except that one group did not receive physical touch. They guessed the group who were touched would develop at a faster rate. What they did not anticipate was that the untouched monkeys would actually die. They called it a failure to thrive.

I agree that touch is important to development whether we are talking about monkeys or humans. But, I contend hearing the human voice is also important for our emotional well-being. Otherwise our lives become isolated. 

If people text so they can multi-task wouldn’t better management of time be another solution?

I miss the face to face.

Skype is another technical convenience which can span miles, letting you not only see but also hear a loved one in real time. One time I readied my grandsons for a Skype call from mom and dad who were at a retreat. My two round-headed sweethearts stared at the computer screen waiting to see mom and dad. It was exciting at first, but I could still see their little furrowed brows when dad decided to change the graphics. I’m sure they wondered how their parents would ever get out of that giant aquarium. And I’ve never seen their eyes so big as when Dad made it look like he and mom were morphing. It took some explanations after that call.  

Communication should be fun. Maybe we could come up with a compromise for those who are quick to text and slow to speak. What about a day set aside where we could put aside our typing abilities and just make a call.

I do relish the phone calls I get. The ones where people are calling to see how I am, not just to fill empty time. 

And thanks for letting me air my voice. I miss using it.