I was driving my daughter and her friends to the mall the other day, when I noticed an eerie silence in the car. When I looked behind me, I was surprised to see all four with their heads down and their eyes fixed on their tiny phone screens, fingers furiously pecking at the minute key pads. At first I thought it was a coincidence they were all replying to messages they had received from other friends, but then they all laughed at the same time and that’s when I knew something else was going on; they were texting each other and having a silent conversation so I couldn’t hear what they were discussing!
Boy, did I feel awkward having to remain silent the whole way to the shopping center! I suddenly knew what limousine drivers must feel when they are screened off from the back of the car: isolated in the middle of a group of pre-teens, and all I could think of was how distasteful!
“Wait, this isn’t right. That’s actually rude! Isn’t it?” I thought to myself.
It’s apparent we are losing yet another battle to technology. Among teenagers, oral communication along with letter writing is being replaced by typing – as fast as you can – to communicate among each other, and worse yet, about each other.
Short, curt, and rude messages are being exchanged between friends before school, at school, and after school. It happens with rapid speed, and with no time for politeness or care for the ‘tone’ of the messages. Everything and everyone is material for the incessant need to text; what the girl standing next to you is wearing, the ugly hair do the teacher has today, or simply to say I’m bored. Texting has become the essential way to communicate among kids, especially teens.
What is a parent to do?
Well, first and foremost, purchase unlimited texting from your provider because your child will run up a bill that’ll make you want to dip into the college fund to pay it off. Second, get a phone with a key pad for yourself and… start texting! If you want to stay in touch with your kids while they’re out, just try texting instead of calling to see which one gets them to reply the fastest.
Yes, I given up on calling them because they just don’t want to be heard saying yes, mom in front of their friends.
However, if after calling trying to find out who and where they’re at fails, just text “cal in 5 mins or i cal the police!”
Yes, this one really works for me.
Finally, when you’ve just about had it with the tiny keypad and cryptic writing, there is one redeeming quality to all this silence … hear it?
I didn’t think so.
Parents: How do you handle all this silence?
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