Posted on 09/25/2019 7:51:55 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Never have we been so connected and informed. We have at our fingertips a world of knowledge covering every possible field. We can easily communicate with others all over the world at little cost. We should have advanced immensely in speaking with others. Everything should be in place for long stimulating conversations about every possible topic. Or so it would seem.
However, we are not talking to others. Worse yet, it appears many people don’t even know how to speak to one another. We are all wired up and have nothing to say. Many have lost the art of conversation.
The Silent Dinner Table
Stagnant and sterile silence dominates so many households. This is the conclusion of a recent survey in the U.K. about family habits there. These same bad habits are quite present in America, probably in similar proportions. They can also be found in differing degrees all over our globalized world.
One particularly tragic finding of this survey of 2,500 U.K. citizens is that a third of the families sit in complete silence during meal times. A further three in ten respondents report they have problems finding topics for dinner conversation.
Of course, there is also the problem of getting people to eat together in the same place at meals. About four in ten parents generally do not have meals together with their children at the same time. Ten percent of the respondents say they never have meals together as a family.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnsnews.com ...
Well, around our house, if nobody is talking, it’s because the food is REALLY good. But otherwise the usual round of “how was your day?”, “what did you learn in school today?”, “anything funny happen today?” and such usually work fine for us. But our family made dinner a priority over the years. Some don’t.
My folks had 8 children- 4 boys and 4 girls. My Dad had a rule at the dinner table that we kids were to be quiet. Why you ask? Because we always got in fights. Yup he was 100% right. So we ate quietly, thankful for every bite since we had no welfare in those days.
Then we resumed our fights after dinner.
I went to a family reunion recently. At the dinner table, everyone over 40 was conversing. But everyone under 40 was glued to their cell phones. I guess that’s the new normal.
But it’s a damn shame. Some of the folks at that table were quite old. And they had some interesting things to say. But the younger folks never heard them.
I do believe it is a real problem.
My wife and I went to a Hotel for a bit recently and when I went to breakfast in the lobby, there was a family of four and all of them were surfing or texting.
I think it s a big problem, we don’t understand the long-reaching effects of this odd change in our behavior. I think it is very damaging.
Smartphone zombies.
We live in an area considered a resort/vacation destination (Kona). Several decent restaurants. Wife and I (mostly me, the curmudgeon) get a laugh out of the tourists.
Often, a couple or more will sit at a table in a tropical paradise, all looking at their iFag phones, not talking or admiring the view at all. If sunset comes, a stampede to take pictures, with the iFag of course.
Food comes, all take pictures of the dinner. More iFag activity. They finally eat, with frequent glances at the GD phone things.
No talking to each other. Very weird people. Two younger kids not even having cursory communication is just freaking strange.
Wow. In Kona? Pathetic.
lol
Not a whole lot different than in the CNN and MSNBC cafeterias after the phone call transcripts were released.
“A fool is known by his speech; and a wise man by his silence.” Pythagoras
rwood
Yeah, some young guy with a hot chick girlfriend, and he and she just stare at their GD phones the whole time.
Even if I did not feel like talking (me, usually) I would enjoy the scenery, her included.
Funny, I had a friend just quit a new job over this...
Small office setting, about a dozen people, had been there about 6 weeks. Every time he tried to talk to somebody in the break room or whatever, he would ask what used to be normal every day small talk, questions like what did you do over the weekend, or how was your commute in... and the response was always WHY?
Said his final straw was asking the guy in the next cubicle a simple work related question on how to do something and he replied send me an IM. So at the end of the day, he went and told his boss that it just was not working out, he refused to work in a setting where nobody would talk to him all day long!
Tech at breakfast is allowed for catch up in the mornings.
It’s verboten at lunch and dinner.
Period.
I’m finding people mumble more and speak less.
“I’m finding people mumble more and speak less.”
Same here. But my hearing’s just as good as ever, you bet.
Just got back from Scotland with a friend. My phone stayed in my bag unless I was using it for pics. She (62) couldn’t keep her hands off her phone or fitbit, which is tied to her phone. If there was no wifi she’d pull up old pics on her phone and look at them or pull up old emails and go through them. On the fitbit she was constantly checking her steps and heartrate or how long she slept. She was always looking at the phone or fitbit. I said....who cares? We’re on vacation!
I told my family to pipe down while I’m reading this thread.
Good one. :-) :-)
iFag? Do you know something about Apple that you would like to share with the rest of the class?
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