Outer Space
Offline
Real/Non-virtual reality
Unplugged/dead battery
Real issues
What happens when the power goes away?
Well, the short answer is that
you’ll have to actually deal with
others. In person. Face-to-face.
For most young people, that’s an incredibly scary thought because they
are so plugged into technology
devices that they don’t know how to carry on a conversation when it involves
making eye contact and speaking in more than 140 character sound bites.
But this goes beyond just young
people not knowing how to communicate politely and appropriately to older
people. It’s about how they were raised,
and apparently, there was little or no connection to older people as they were
growing up, during their childhood.
Further, it truly seems as though
that lack of interaction with adults has lead to a major distrust between the
generations. Has that always existed? In
some form, yes. (“Never trust anyone
over 30,” was made popular in the 1960s.)
Many things need to happen, and
it’s not about regulating how or where devices are used. It’s about taking time to educate young
people about talking to adults that aren’t
their parents. Yes, you should still talk to your children about “Stranger
Danger.” But you should also talk to
them about acting appropriately around adults… in the real world, the offline,
unplugged world.
Now, I know you’re thinking, “You
old people can’t tell me what to do!”
And, you’re right. We can’t. And
shouldn’t… but, you kids, you young people, really do need to learn when to put
down and turn off your smart phones,
iPhones, iPods, etc. Oh, and news flash: adults are just as guilty here, too!
The point(s) I’m making is that
when you’re in the presence of an adult, recognize it, put your device away (or
take out the earbuds), and acknowledge him/her.
Smile. Say, “Hi. How’s your day going?”
Just anything to show that you see him/her.
I’m not talking about the old
adage: Respect your elders. No, respect has to be earned, just like
trust.
Hey, who knows? You just might be surprised by the
interaction and make a new friend.
