I'm Just Saying

8/20/2011 0 Comments

About a month ago Kevin came home and asked me what was wrong with kids today. He then went on to say he was telling this kid at his work what he needed to do, and the kid just stared at him, like a drooler as my sister’s husband Bryan calls them. You know, people who stand or sit there with a vacant ‘duh’ look on their face, their mouth hanging open as if they're trying to catch flies. He couldn’t grasp what Kevin was telling him. Kevin was like, "I talk in plain English, so I don’t get why he couldn’t understand me." I shrugged, but when Kevin elaborated more by telling me the kid talks to him in short sentences, I had epiphany.

People don’t communicate like they used to before this technology boom. Think about it. Kids are constantly on their cell phones texting each other in short sentences. Therefore, they’re losing their ability to communicate--not all kids, but enough. It reminds me of George Orwell’s book 1984 (an excellent book), because it’s as if the way the kids are communicating now (texting) has reprogrammed their brain to communicate in a minimal and simplistic form to where they can’t fully grasp the concept or meaning of what’s being told to them. It’s actually kind of scary if you think about it. My dad was telling me that in Indiana, they’re going to stop teaching the kids cursive writing. I was like, "What?" It seems like they, whomever they are, wants to dumb down the kids for some reason. I don’t want to get all conspiracy theory here, but I’m just saying.

Have you ever heard about the frog in a pot of cold water? The frog is in a pot of cold water. No big deal, right? The frog remains in the pot of water; content and has no worries. Slowly the temperature turns up a notch. The frog doesn’t notice. Do you see where this is going? Eventually, the frog ends up boiling in that pot of water, and not once did he try to jump out. Is that what’s happening to us? Are we the frog in the pot of water?

Now don’t get me wrong. I think technology is wonderful, but it’s how we use it, and the whole escalation factor is what’s troublesome. But it’s not just technology. It’s everything. If you step back, and take a good look at what’s really going on and compare it to how it used to be–how we used to be–doesn’t it at least raises your eyebrows?

Again, I’m not trying to get all Ted Kaczynski on you, but I’m just saying.