Just about everyone is using the digital age in some way. Whether it’s an email of photos of the kids updating Great Aunt Maud via her daughter on facebook or texting the teen on the other sofa to put the kettle on, were all at it. But I don’t know about you, I get so annoyed with the lack of social manners the digital world has brought with it. Yes I know I can marvel at the ability to check my emails whilst waiting in the queue in the supermarket but on the very same day get exasperated serving customers at work who can’t get off their mobiles long enough to use please and thank you’s as they point to what they want whilst telling the person on the phone that they are just in the shop and then go on to talk about what they are going to do later that night…..er hello how about stopping your phone conversation? Is that phone conversation really more important than conversing with the person in front of your own nose?
So here are my top 4 personal aggghhhhs of the digital/social age.
Texting at the table – for me texting…facebooking…..etc. at the table is a no-no. It should be taught it’s not acceptable up there with the not talking with your mouth full of food and all mothers favourites…no elbows on the table.
Oversharing life on facebook – please stop with all the photos of junior doing this or doing that. I don’t mind the one photo but 500 of the same thing is just too much. Also if you insist on taking 6 million photos of your child being cute please please please take the dummy out of its mouth. Oh and stop with photos of your latest cooking session or what you just ‘rustled up’ for tea. Three reasons…one is that your tea is now getting cold whilst you create the perfect shot. Two ..you’re making me and lots of other non-cooks feel and look very inadequate and lastly … I don’t care. It is, of course, ok for me to do this because anything that comes out of my kitchen non-burnt is actually a major miracle or could be the last thing I may ever eat as it kills me off.
Don’t text speak out loud – no no no just don’t do it. Just because you have worked out or asked the teen what ‘lol’ means ( ‘laugh out loud’ and not ‘lots of love’ as my boss once thought and that’s a whole other no-no) or can slip in a ‘btw’ easily does not mean it is cool on any level to use text speak when talking face to face. Oh and never ever use text speak when talking face to face to anyone younger than you. Trust me you will look and sound stupid.
Remember the real world – it’s been said that families are spending more time together in the evenings, yes they might all be on a phone or tablet but they are spending more time in a room together. What does annoy me is when you’re talking to someone and their phone makes a noise and immediately they have to check it. No waiting for a polite pause in the conversation or excusing themselves …they just get their phone out and read the text or whatever it is. If you face to face with someone and you’re having a conversation and your phone dings LEAVE IT ALONE. If you’re an expectant father and your partner has gone into labour this may be a reasonable excuse but apart from that not, a lot else is more important than the conversation you’re already having.
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