How The i-Phone and i-Pad Changed My Life.......

[Seafever]

I don't own either one ....yet.

But all my relatives...and my wife's relatives and their children do.

Time was when you had company everyone sat at the table or in easy chairs and talked to each other about things, focussing on each other.

Well...that era's gone.

Now when they show up the phones and pads are turned on the minute they enter the room........each one , parents and kids alike heavily engrossed with their screens.

Texting, twittering,Internet searches....whatever...

And this while we are all having dinner at the table too....

Responses to conversation will be something like "I'm sorry...what was that?" or......no conversation at all......they could care less and rarely look up from what they are doing....

The other day we were out an Italian restaurant.......a family showed up at the table beside us.......

There were six people in the family...and everyone had a live pad or phone going... The dad had the biggest pad (as dad's are prone to do........because he is the head of the family so there for his pad should reflect that).

I got the feeling that the kids were actually texting each other even though they were sitting right across from each other......

Seen this several times when we go out..........

Since I don't have a good phone ( just a basic emergency cheapy) or pad........I've been counter-reacting by taking out my pen and doodling on the napkins or using sign language with my wife.

Ahhh...the good old days.....sigh.....

 

[scott craven]

Yup, progress they call it....

 

[merrittboy1]

Schools are just as bad. Kids as young as grade 4 are allowed to use them. High school big joke. Kids texting during lessons etc. it is a problem that has to be dealt with in each family as far as how they are used at home... A sad situation. Our house, our rules, dinner, no phones etc. Told a class a few years ago that a baby was born with a cell phone attached to it's hand, some believed me. Grade 7's, lol.

 

[Big Green Machine]

Schools are just as bad. Kids as young as grade 4 are allowed to use them. High school big joke. Kids texting during lessons etc. it is a problem that has to be dealt with in each family as far as how they are used at home... A sad situation. Our house, our rules, dinner, no phones etc. Told a class a few years ago that a baby was born with a cell phone attached to it's hand, some believed me. Grade 7's, lol.

Our Intermediate students use Smartphones to respond to all sorts of questions. We assess all the students using a standardized assessment on the Smartboard and the students get immediate feedback about what they know and what they don't know and the data from the assessment is used to guide the teacher's instruction. This saves the teacher a ton of time and allows really provides custom made programs for the students.

The technology is not going away, we need to adapt.

As for dinner though, and certain social situations, I agree, put them away.

 

[Daveroo]

I think it is important to establish ground rules for the mobile devices etc. Our rule is no computers, smartphones, electronic games at the dinner table. Even to this day there is also no WII, Playstation or any gaming gear in our house. We got our kids a cell phone last year so we could communicate with them during pick up after school etc. We got them a cheap basic phone with no Internet or games on it. Just telephone call and texting.

So are we a techno phobic family? Not at all. I am an IT consultant and our house is set up with as many servers and and networking infrastructure as a small company. I provide the latest notebooks and computer systems for my family. However, the focus of its use is for school work or work. No homework to do? then we try to get them out of the house. Go biking, shoot some hoops, boating or fishing in my case!

However like Seafever I find it is a constant uphill battle to keep the verbal communications lines open. It is a constant battle trying to get the kids off the electronics when their school work is done. BGM is right, technology is here and we need to adapt. We need to teach our kids when it is appropriate to be on their smartphone and when it is not. Even in the business world I meet people who are not aware of this subtle point. Every single email, text or update does NOT need a response right away. Put the phone away and concentrate on the person sitting across the table/desk from you! As a consultant who is paid by the hour by my clients, I have to give them my full attention. No client wants to pay a consultant to spent half of their time on the phone with someone else! If I am running the clock for a client I will not immediately respond to an email or text unless it is urgent. It can wait until the end of the day or the beginning of the next day. I think it would be beneficial to view electronic communications at home the same way.

 

[reelfast]

steve jobs was the biggest of the big pushers. the junkies are everywhere you go. rules around this household are everything electronic is OFF at dinner time. we have found that time of day is most rewarding by simple conversation, no exceptions. in fact, we don't answer the telephone if it rings during that time period. I am happy to report my youngest daughter, 31, has the same rule in her household. getting back to being human sometimes takes some forceful rule making. I for one don't miss the big pusher may he RIP.

 

[demco99]

check this out guys:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HbYScltf1c

 

[jeffywestcoast]

People just need to learn some iphone/ipad manners, you leave it off if at a family function, out for a dinner date or having a visit with family or friends there is nothing more annoying then someone tuning you out and fumbling with their mobile device. My girlfriend used to hate me for tuning her out sometimes well i fiddled with my iphone, so i fixed that.. i bought her one. Lets face it we are living in a digital age, without my iphone/laptop /satellite and flatscreen tv i would be bored as hell sitting in a shack in the middle of the desert, being connected out here in the patch is one of the only things that keeps me from going completely mental and detached from the world around me. But once i get off the plane back on the island i would rather be fishing,boating,camping,and having a good time then using a mobile device..

 

[Deewar25]

That's what we do to ( cut it off dinner time and limit it down all of us).... It just cuts to deep into family life.... Also my son who has autism can get revved up on those things...So he can't be on them to long.. As I am writing this I just discovered he came downstairs why we were sleeping played his car game and drained both batteries on our tablets so its a little bit of problem in our household..... And of course I will be dealing with the revved up child for several hours....

Anyhow they are good, but I fear for next generation as they can be highly addicting..... After school in my area you hardly see kids around hanging out playing with there bikes...There all in playing tablet, watching TV, playing vid games etc.... Its a lazy generation if you ask me.

I guess I am one to talk I am sitting hear on my keyboard LOLOL

Just the start H5...there is a good reason every electronic in our house is either hidden (with traps) or password protected. It won't get any easier for you. Currently he is on 30minutes a day and thats it...occasional sports are ok though on tv since its not the same 'effect' on the aspe's. As for cell phones, any of you that let your kids have them, make sure they don't get to sleep with them or they will be on them til all hours. Our daughter has an ipod only and that way, she is on the wireless and I just shut it down at 11pm weekends, 10:30 weekdays. Problem solved.

 

[Dennis.t]

We as a family luv our I phones and really liking the new IOS 7 upgrade. Lol. Having said that, we uphold a long standing tradition, come supper time, the family sits down and talks about their day with each other (phones are turned off). Just as I did as a kid growing up with my folks,when there was no internet/I phones or computors. Seems like a long time ago now! Lol