Seriously not the place dude

So I'm not exactly anti new technology but I do think that some people take it too far.

And I'm pretty sure I've spoken about this before and tried, somewhat unsuccessfully, not to come off as an old fogey but I really think some folks go a tad far with their need to use their phones for recording and other purposes at the most inopportune time. Its like we've reached this stage where if you don't have a recording or photo of it to show others it didn't happen or the event is somehow invalidated.

Look at the photos showing groups of other persons with cameras and tablets held aloft at some concert or sporting event these days. It appears we have reached a stage where society would rather view an event through a digital lens than through their God given eyeballs.

And then there is the other case where we must be connected 24-7 regardless of where we go. Its like WI-fi is the new umbilical cord in this connected womb we now exist in. To not be connected and fed information, to be unconnected for even a few seconds and be out of the loop is somehow worst than death.

My weekend activities seemed to all validate this notion.



First off, soccer with the toddlers. Now let me start by saying that soccer class with toddlers is a bit like herding cats. You're lucky if they all end up going the same way or following the rules for even a small portion of the class, hell you're lucky if even half of them follow the rules for even a minute of the class.

So there we were trying to get two three year olds who didn't know each other to pass the ball to each other. Its a task that requires parents to coerce each kid to somehow give up a ball at their feet to a stranger. Not so easy. I'm trying to coax one of my sons to complete the task and what is this other parent doing with his kid? Why he's busy taking video and photos of his child just standing there with the ball at his feet. Now I get that you probably want to take some photos at some point cause this can be seen as a momentous event but come on man get with the program. Parents involvement is crucial at these classes so take one or two and then get the kid going. Seriously not the place dude.

Second.

At a recital yesterday with various grades of performances. Audience members have phones and ipads and cameras set up all around the performers. Is like wall to wall paparazzi going on. One lady takes some video of the beginner group and then decides she must watch the playback at full volume while the intermediate group is being introduced.

Really!! Like you could not wait til the whole show was finished or if you were that anxious to see your recording could you not go outside the performance hall? sigh! Seriously not the place dude.

THIRD

Church this morning. I find that more folks are on their phone in church than ever these days. Makes sense since more people here seem to be using Bible aps now than actual bibles. Nothing wrong with that I guess. Guy in the pew ahead of me this morning is on his phone the whole service and its no bible-ap he's checking. I mean I was trying to listen to the service so I didn't see everything he was looking at but occasionally the phone would catch my glance and I know at one point he was on espn.com, then he was looking at clothing, then he was having a whatspp conversation then God knows what else scrolled past.  Seriously not the place dude.

And yea I get the phone addiction. I'm not saying I don't check for stuff or I don't feel like I should take a photo or recording of an event but I feel like some folks never even enjoy the actual events they are at because they are so busy recording to post or lost in cyberspace checking out something else that they are only present at the event physically.

I fear it is the new norm and I probably shouldn't complain but I wish some folks would just open their eyes and realize that there is more to life than looking/playing with our phones/tablets

(says the man who blogs. ironic ant it)