Face Time

I recently saw a commercial from Dentyne that really struck a nerve in me. (see link for video below). It didn't rub me the wrong way as in offensive but what it did do was make me realize just how little time we actually spend doing face time in this day of so called modern technology. Any of you that have been around me long enough either in person or through the internet know that I have an issue with how much we depend on technology to communicate. It came to a head more apparent to me over the last couple of weeks in 3 seperate incidents.

First was a conversation on the phone with an old friend from back home. At the end of our talk I asked for her email address to keep in contact and she said she didn't even have the internet. Then I gave her both my phone numbers and she chuckled. I asked what was so funny and she said that I sounded so sophisticated with all my "tools to talk" with. I asked how she kept in contact with her kids that were in high school and she said with trust. None of her kids had internet at home, no cells, no anything. If they were going to a friends she got the friends phone number at home to check. She said she didn't need to be paying for cells for her kids to hike up charges talking to their friends they just spent all day with.

Secondly, when we were in Hawaii I used Keith's work digital camera. I wasn't sure how many pictures it held so every day I would download all of them. (Trust me, the ones I posted on Facebook weren't nearly the same number as I took.) My oldest son was also using my laptop to download his pictures onto to save his memory. Another son was downloading his pictures onto his laptop. While I was unloading all these pictures I would check my mail and talk to Keith etc. At one point I left a message for my DIL that was just across the hall from me jokingly telling her it was her turn to go set the table. Later that day I got a message from a friend saying she thought it was my daughter Lareta who had not gone with us. I said yes that was right so she asked who Mary was I told her my DIL and she said didn't she go with you and I said yes she is here with me and then my friend said I don't get it if she is right there then why are you messaging her instead of talking to her face.

Lastly, lately I have been noticing that when we go to family and friends home to supposedly visit, we are finding ourselves sitting there watching people juggling laptops on their knees, playing video games, playing computer games etc. And I think I could have stayed home curled up on the couch reading a good book.

So when I saw this commercial it hit home how little we do actual face time with other people. But I can not control what other people do but I can control what I do so my own challenge for the next couple of weeks is to do more instant face connection with my family and friends. Obviously actual face to face only with those that live here and phone connection with those that live away. I will keep my computer yakking time for middle of nights when I am wandering around the house like now or when I am alone. I will endeavor to cut some of these electronic apron strings down a tad.

I shall keep you all posted but please do check the link for the commercial. I would be very interested in hearing if you feel the same or whether I am completely off my rocker.


http://www.splendad.com/ads/show/2693-Dentyne-Face-Time-Rain-On-Me