8.10.2009

Role Reversal?

I have been hearing many older people talk for years about the younger generation and technology. In many ways I think some of the things said are true, but every once in a while I see something that makes me think differently.

I was sitting in Panera bread on Saturday afternoon. There were not many people there so it was easy to here and notice other things. A bit to my left were a family that were eating. There was a mom, dad and teenage son. The dynamics were interesting. I never saw the mom put down her cell phone or say anything. The dad had his cell phone out most of the time. The son did not have a cell phone.

He was by far the most conversational of the three. He was the most well-spoken and the most interested in talking. The mom did not really pay any attention to anything but her cell phone. I just found it to be an interesting reversal of what we expect. Definitely makes you wonder what technology is affecting in the middle aged generation.

1 comments:

stephen said...

What's of even more interest to me is whom would be of more importance to the mother than the two people sitting at the table with her.

While we're quick to point the finger at youth, we need to remember that abuse of technology can occur at any age.

I'll let someone else try to defend the notion of "abuse of technology."