Have you noticed a shift in the way people communicate?

[Lionfishvintage]

This is just a personal observation.

I'm a boomer so grew up without cel phones , computers etc. I may be stuck in my old ways?

I noticed in this past year that people no longer  respond to voice messages I leave. Or many times emails.

They say" Text me", I have to admit I hate texting. My phone is so old ( how old is it?? ha ha) that it won't let me use the voice capability , or whatever it's called, to leave a text.

So I have to type with my pinky finger each letter... My hand gets tired!!

And some friends prefer to text instead of talking on the phone.

Seems too impersonal . I put my foot down with 1 friend and finally said- "call me" No more texting.

Another observation. Same friend as above ^ whom I used to see once a month before virus, is constantly checking his cel when we would get together for a monthly lunch.

Last time we went out to lunch, i said that i was going to check my emails one last time before we had lunch and just turn off my phone.

He seemed to get it but really didn't cause he was checking his phone 3 or 4 times during the meal. He is a boomer as well.

Is this the new normal? Am I just an old fogey??   If you're my age , you won't have to look up that word.

[ThePurplePuppy]

Yes, I am older than a boomer--I do not even know what they call us? Probably zombies or some other such word--or they think we don;t exist! 

And yes, I notice the same thing--it is soooo annoying.  What bothers me more is that everyone thinks everyone else has a "smart" phone. they operate their Etsy shop, check FB and everything else on their "device".  My phone is an old Nokia and I do not even remember how long I have had it--I think I got it in 2006 --or before.  I bought it and take it with me for "emergency" use on the road.   BUT=--everyone insists on contacting my on THAT phone. I have found texts and messages that are a week old. I only check it if I am leaving home for some reason--No matter WHAT I tell someone and leave the landline they call back on my cell!  To me that is most annoying!   I do not and do not plan to live with a phone in one hand!

[BlueSpruceCrafts]

They call you the "Silent Generation", maybe because you didn't make many waves (compared to the raucous Boomers!).

[SwissZahlerArt]

If the mobile telephone would be extremely indispensable, we would be born with one attached to a hand.

[Lionfishvintage]

Right on Purple Puppy!

I tell people that my phone is NOT attached to my hip & that I check messages, etc maybe once or twice an hour. And  to me that's ALOT!

Nope- I don't have an Iphone. just an old android. It's so old , there are cracks on the screen and i just tape over it! ha ha

So here's another observation :

Some friends now ( again boomers) will send links to stuff for funny vids etc. No message like - hey this is funny , check it out. How you doing? etc

Just a link . Is that lazy?

And 1 friend in particular that I've emailed many times asking how she is doing, what's new in your life etc. Well there is no answer.

But she will send me links to stuff or vids.

I feel like we are on different planets. No conversation at all

 Again i guess this is the way of the world?

I appreciate the fact that you answered my post! At least WE are on the same planet.

[ThePurplePuppy]

I get videos like that from my sister in law on FB--and I have told her for YEARS I do not click on likes--but she still sends them.  I just don't mess with that stuff due to malware, etc.

[vlmkpyae]

our phone plugs into the wall. i think that is much more, 'smart'. 

[Lionfishvintage]

@BlueSpruceCrafts 

My dad was " The silent generation". I'm a boomer and born after 1945.

[ElizabethRosenArt]

@Lionfishvintage you are not alone, and there is a shift. I prefer the house phone mostly because I can still have both hands working and tuck that big handset between the shoulder and ear, which I can't do with a cell phone. My husband will text me 3 times, and I won't respond on purpose. He knows I'd rather talk than hover over that cell phone pecking away with one finger. But through work he is conditioned to text all the time. Seems more efficient to him. I think it takes more time, and is completely impersonal. 

The iPhone is great however for taking better photos than my (now dusty) 'good' cameras for my Etsy shop. I can edit faster there in seconds than pulling up in photoshop. I do check email, but don't answer til I'm in front of the desktop. It's a useful tool for many things, but I don't use it to communicate with people in lieu of speaking with them. My teen then countered with FaceTime calls on the cell phone- which I will do with him, and I guess more personal as we are seeing each others faces! He got me there. 

Hubby and I are in our late 50s so the tail end of the boomer gen?

[collecteddust]

Yes, Yes. I have noticed that my Grandchildren quite often send their greetings via text ( with no punctuation ) ~ I miss the verbal communication or even a greeting card.

[Lionfishvintage]

Yes I do admit there are some advantages to cel phones. Love my calendar and that i can program it to alert me of appts, etc. The weather app, the flashlight, calculator, camera.

Wow! Did I feel insecure when my camera on the phone wasn't working for a couple weeks. In case there is an accident, you need a pic. Or any kind of bad situation.

[ElizabethRosenArt]

Oh the flashlight is the best! Especially in a dark restaurant, or unlocking a door at night.

[GielDesigns]

I've noticed the shift and I'm not all that happy about it. I'm a boomer too and I'm "old school." Like some of you said, smart phones are great for the camera, flashlight, quick answers and a few other things, but when people act like they're totally addicted to them it drives me nuts. I mean the people who literally can't put them down for five minutes.  It also makes me sad that much of my family prefers to communicate through text. I'd much rather hear a warm familiar laugh than read "lol."  It's just not the same.

[Lionfishvintage]

@GielDesignsSorry i just saw your response today( July 25th)

Yes i would much rather hear a voice and talk than send an impersonal text.

Just last night someone texted me and i texted back asking if i could call them.

We had a great time laughing and hanging out on the phone .

[SwissZahlerArt]

One of my grand daughters worked as waitress.  She had an experience with the telephone addiction. There was a customer who could not do his food order because of the perpetual telephone conversation. My grand daughter went to his table about every five minutes, but the customer was married with the telephone and always did signs no, get away. About 30 minutes later, he complained to the restaurant manager the waitress never took his order...

[vlmkpyae]

ana, that guy needs to be put on the do not serve list!

[MilaSmilasDogClothes]

I'm Gen X and I like texting if you just need to send short messages like "on my way" or "Call me when you have a minute".  Anything longer than a sentence or two is just annoying.  Why spend 5 minutes typing out a message when you can just make a phone call?

[SwissZahlerArt]

Very well put!

[MoiraRiver]

People seem to act like young kids with their phones--look at me I'm super important! Trouble is they are either playing games, watching a video or ordering food---rarely check any news to see whats going on in the World. When things were different and you 'ate out' you see not just young people but all ages playing on  their phones as if their life depended on it and no-one said a word to anyone at the table. Drop it--your really not that important!

[Former_Member]

Some boomers, yes.  Not me.  Hate cel phones (Yes, I use the word h.a.t.e.)  The next gens, not sure what they call them are absolutely glued to them.  I worked with several and every second that they were not physically engaged with work - they were on their phones.  Needless to say there was very little conversation occurring at work.  One young man asked me for a ride home during a snow storm so he didn't have to call a cab.  Before he even got in the car he was on the phone.  The whole drive to his place - on the phone, as he got out and said good night... he had to first finish texting... *sigh*   and they wonder why we don't understand them.  Maybe if they 'talked' to us every once in a while...?

I'm heading out on vacation here shortly.  To the boonies.  Have not decided if the laptop is staying or going yet.  Stay well one and all!

[GielDesigns]

@Former_Member 

Totally agree and enjoy your vacation!

[vlmkpyae]

that pic says it all.

[Lionfishvintage]

@Former_Member 

The pic you posted is so funny!!   ha ha   .......    Hey hope you have a fantastic vacation.

Wow- kindof sad and shocking when you are in a car with someone ( or for example a restaurant) and they are constantly on the phone.

My friend does that when we go out to eat. We only see each other once a month for goodness sake. I think its so rude.

Next time he does it , I'm tempted to text him while he's reading his messages and say " hi there- I;m the person sitting across from you"

[psych62]

I don't own a cell phone. I think I may be the only person on the planet that doesn't have one.

[vlmkpyae]

stand in line, twin. we don't either.