The New What Made You Frown Today Thread

[Pig'sSaysAdios]

Ever been forced to socialise with people you hate/ have no connection with? Well try being forced to do that every single week!

 

[MikaelaMuppet]

Ever been forced to socialise with people you hate/ have no connection with? Well try being forced to do that every single week!

I have been forced to do just that.

 

[newsmanfan]

Ever been forced to socialise with people you hate/ have no connection with? Well try being forced to do that every single week!

Ugh. Work?

 

[Pig'sSaysAdios]

Ugh. Work?

Well, no ( although thanks for reminding me I need to apply for a job again). You see, i'm homeschooled, so most of the day i'm at home. Therefore I don't have the built in social structure that you see in an actual school. All my friends, I have to make by actively searching for kids that live in the neighborhood, or going to different homeschool groups, volenteering places, etc. Don't even get me started on how many groups we've tried that just weren't a good fit for me or my mother ( too many young, stuck up moms out there). But luckily, after years of searching, we've found a group with lots of really fun, down to earth kids that I can gladly call my friends ( the first ones i've really had since I was eight). But unfortunately, there's this OTHER group that we're involved with, that is less fun. Luckily the moms enjoy each other, and i'm really happy my mom finally has people to relate to, but their kids (my age) are so annoying and don't do anything but play video games, and they won't even try to have a conversation with you, or. do anything no matter how hard I try. Like, I know their kind of isolated and awkward, but geez, i've seen these guys like twelve times now! When will my mom just let this thing go and acknowledge that the group turned out to be better for her then it did for me??

 

[Pig'sSaysAdios]

*pants after overly long winded response

 

[fuzzygobo]

Not to sound like the boring old fart I am (sometimes), but for the last ten, fifteen, going on TWENTY years, it's seems the more kids (and a number of people my age) that are totally immersed in their devices, the less likely they are to develop stronger social skills.
Some of them seem to have no problem keeping their head down and thumbs flying, lost in cyberspace, but can't even acknowledge the person next to them. That is such a shame.
That little digital gizmo in your hand is supposed to enhance human interaction, not replace it.

 

[Pig'sSaysAdios]

Not to sound like the boring old fart I am (sometimes), but for the last ten, fifteen, going on TWENTY years, it's seems the more kids (and a number of people my age) that are totally immersed in their devices, the less likely they are to develop stronger social skills.
Some of them seem to have no problem keeping their head down and thumbs flying, lost in cyberspace, but can't even acknowledge the person next to them. That is such a shame.
That little digital gizmo in your hand is supposed to enhance human interaction, not replace it.

Exactly! I may be a part of this generation, but I am pretty concerned about the overindulgence of devices and the lack of real social interaction.

 

[D'Snowth]

My concern as well is that kids today will also be deprived of something that previous generations had as a luxury: imagination.

 

[mr3urious]

My concern as well is that kids today will also be deprived of something that previous generations had as a luxury: imagination.

And their parents probably complain about it when they're the ones who give them those devices in the first place. I remember Paula Poundstone complained about this a couple of years ago on CBS Sunday Morning.

 

[D'Snowth]

Yes, I was just thinking about that Paula Poundstone video, and she really does have a point! I mean again, I was at Olive Garden a few years ago when it was evidently prom night - so many highschool couples were arriving at the restaurants in their suits or tuxedos, and their best dresses . . . and the whole time I was there, every single one of them had their noses glues to their phones the entire time. I'm not exaggerating. Any small wonder young people can't take relationships seriously today? They don't even know how!

But it is irksome when I see even babies have some sort of a device in their hands. As I've said many times before, my generation had things like cable, video games, and home internet was just starting to become a common thing, but we as kids always prefered playing outside on a sunny day any chance we got - the rest of that stuff was usually for rainy days. There was even a time where cellphones and other electronics used to be banned in schools - I know, I lived during that time. Even though they were banned, I'd always sneak a cellphone and my CD player with me: the former was an emergency tool only, such as cases if the bus broke down (which happened a lot), it came in handy for calling my mom, and other kids being able to call their parents as well; the latter was because I never liked the radio stations the bus drivers listened to. Now, apparently phones are allowed in school.