Cell Phones. I have very strong opinions about this topic, and when cell phone use is and isn't appropriate.
Cell phones are great, they make communicating and keeping in touch with distant friends and relative so much easier. However there are times where they can be abused. This is broken down into 3 categories; which are cell phone use while....
- with Friends
- with Family
- at Work
Friends
I tread carefully with this one, as I'm somewhat of a hypocrite with this category of cell phone use. That being said, casual cell phone use while with friends is OK. Such as when you are just lounging watching TV, to have the phone out is fine. However, if you are doing an engaged activity with them, such as a pregame, out at a bar, or other activity or event cell phone use should be at a minimum, because the people you have to text are probably with you anyway, so put the phone away and enjoy their company. If you are out to eat, or having dinner together, just keep the phone away entirely; I mean, how long does that dinner last, a whole 45 minutes max that you can't keep your phone away and really engage, have an actual conversation, and really connect? Sometimes we all like to put our cell phones on top of one another if we are out to dinner, and see who can last the longest without actually touching their phone (it's supposed to go first person to touch his or her phone pays for the meal, but that never happens). I love this because it puts everyone on the same level and keeps everyone honest, and it's kind of fun to see when someones phone goes off how much they want to just check the phone to see who it is. Again, who else do you need to talk to at that moment at dinner besides the group you are with? Sometimes I want to do this when we pregame or people are over at the house, and put all of our phones in a basket until it's time to go (especially mine as I am one of the worst offenders).
This is a perfect segue into my next category of cell phone use. Use while you're with...
Family
This category is a bit different, because usually when you are on your phone you are communicating with friends. That said, put the phone away, it's your family, and time spent with them should actually be spent with them. I probably spend more time with my family than most given my job, I see my dad grandfather and uncles 40+ hours during the week.
Usually, the times that we get together with our families are over a holiday, for a special occasion or sometimes even just a dinner. Spend that time with your family, not with your phone, because when you actually talk and connect with family, and get to know them; it can be the great.
Put the phone away and engage in a group activity, a game of cards maybe.. we like to play Italian cards - Scopa- and lately another game I learned this past weekend that I will go into and explain during another post, called Pounce (keep an eye out for it). Often times at dinner you look around the table, and most have their phones out, maybe not during dinner, but even after during desert while conversation is going on. Last week we had relatives from Australia visiting, and were playing a game of Scopa, my younger brother has his phone out the entire game, texting and checking fantasy sports. A round of the game lasts all of 5 minutes, check your phone while someone else is shuffling if you have to. That's something that you will remember for years to come, playing a traditional game of Italian cards with your father/brother/grandfather/uncle/cousin. Small things like that are what's important, and are what you don't get to do often enough.
I'm not picking on him specifically, just a recent example, there's always someone or someones that isolate themselves from the family while being on their phones and don't even realize it.
PUT IT AWAY AND ENGAGE. Strike up a conversation that is important to you, share your view points on other topics, debate, laugh, joke, tell stories!
It's amazing what what we can learn about your families and their history if you listen and pay attention to the stories from our parents and grandparents.
As important as friends are, you talk to them all week long. they can wait till you go home; you're with your family now, make the best use of that time as possible. Think about how much time you have spent on the phone in the past that you could have been spending with a loved one who is no longer with you. I bet you wish you kept the phone away now and spent that extra time with them, even if it was just 5 or 10 minutes...
So it should go, when you go into a family gathering, I feel as though all phones should be collected, from young and old alike; our parents can be just as bad as we are when it comes to phone usage.
So when it comes to being with family and friends, I feel as though phone usage should be moderated, so you can connect with them, and truly enjoy your time together. That said, I am about to go an entirely different direction with this category, may even turn into a rant. and that's phone usage during work.
Work
I 100% disagree with no cell phones while at work, unless you are have a manual labor job where the phone can distract you from your phone and result in injury, or a sales type job where you are dealing directly with the customer. In which case, the phone should be silent and away and they should have your undivided attention. For a job like mine, and many of my peers, where we sit behind a desk, phone use shouldn't be as big as an issue.
Multitasking for our generation comes second nature, so being on the phone and doing work at the same time doesn't take much if any away at all. In fact, we have been trained to work that way; many of us made our way through college while online or watching tv or movies while completing our assignments.
I've worked in supermarkets, and restaurants growing up (as well as here). All 3 I understand the 'no phone' argument. At the supermarket you have a line of customers and are constantly busy with them, phone would directly take away from that, plus it's rude to have them wait while you sit on your phone. Every now and then though, you could sneak a phone check or a text when it slowed down. At the restaurant when it wasn't busy you could also sneak a peek at your phone in the back, or in the bathroom, so long as a manager wasn't around or you weren't out around the customers. And even here, years ago, I was operating machinery, I digress here, I wanted headphones, didn't use the phone much. Even still, usage of headphones or a cell phones could have directly resulted in my injury; if the cord from the headphones got caught in the machine, or I was looking at my phone while the machine was running I could have lost a finger. I'm a clutz as it is and am prone to injury anyway, no need to increase that risk. Even at my 'behind the desk' internship, I could sneak the phone more often than the other jobs.
And I'm not the only one guilty of sneaking it at work, everyone does it!
So I get docked often for being on my phone (then again it's family, but even still); I'm more than likely texting someone else who is at work that works that behind the desk job who can text. So I figure why can't I. I'm not directly distracted from my work by it. In fact, most days my work is complete well before 5 o'clock. So where is the problem? I figure that at most other places the boss isn't on you because all they care about is that your work is finished and on time. Here is where I go off on a tangent and vent a bit - many of my friends have the opportunity of working from home; I get snapchats of movies being watched and sites being browsed often as they work from home. None of that matters because their work gets done! Again - this generation multitasks and does it well. This brings me back to my point of if the work is complete what different does it make what you do throughout the process, results are what's important in the work force right?
Now, that all being said, if cell phone use at this type of job is directly taking away from your work and you are constantly late or behind on work then don't use your phone. Otherwise I don't see what the problem is with some phone use while you are getting your work done.
So that's my view on cell phone use. While phones are great, they are a double edged sword. They make communicating easier, but take away from connecting with one another. We are all guilty of using them when we probably shouldn't be.
Check this out.
Key in on the comments section below.
Usually, the times that we get together with our families are over a holiday, for a special occasion or sometimes even just a dinner. Spend that time with your family, not with your phone, because when you actually talk and connect with family, and get to know them; it can be the great.
Put the phone away and engage in a group activity, a game of cards maybe.. we like to play Italian cards - Scopa- and lately another game I learned this past weekend that I will go into and explain during another post, called Pounce (keep an eye out for it). Often times at dinner you look around the table, and most have their phones out, maybe not during dinner, but even after during desert while conversation is going on. Last week we had relatives from Australia visiting, and were playing a game of Scopa, my younger brother has his phone out the entire game, texting and checking fantasy sports. A round of the game lasts all of 5 minutes, check your phone while someone else is shuffling if you have to. That's something that you will remember for years to come, playing a traditional game of Italian cards with your father/brother/grandfather/uncle/cousin. Small things like that are what's important, and are what you don't get to do often enough.
I'm not picking on him specifically, just a recent example, there's always someone or someones that isolate themselves from the family while being on their phones and don't even realize it.
PUT IT AWAY AND ENGAGE. Strike up a conversation that is important to you, share your view points on other topics, debate, laugh, joke, tell stories!
It's amazing what what we can learn about your families and their history if you listen and pay attention to the stories from our parents and grandparents.
As important as friends are, you talk to them all week long. they can wait till you go home; you're with your family now, make the best use of that time as possible. Think about how much time you have spent on the phone in the past that you could have been spending with a loved one who is no longer with you. I bet you wish you kept the phone away now and spent that extra time with them, even if it was just 5 or 10 minutes...
So it should go, when you go into a family gathering, I feel as though all phones should be collected, from young and old alike; our parents can be just as bad as we are when it comes to phone usage.
So when it comes to being with family and friends, I feel as though phone usage should be moderated, so you can connect with them, and truly enjoy your time together. That said, I am about to go an entirely different direction with this category, may even turn into a rant. and that's phone usage during work.
Work
I 100% disagree with no cell phones while at work, unless you are have a manual labor job where the phone can distract you from your phone and result in injury, or a sales type job where you are dealing directly with the customer. In which case, the phone should be silent and away and they should have your undivided attention. For a job like mine, and many of my peers, where we sit behind a desk, phone use shouldn't be as big as an issue.
Multitasking for our generation comes second nature, so being on the phone and doing work at the same time doesn't take much if any away at all. In fact, we have been trained to work that way; many of us made our way through college while online or watching tv or movies while completing our assignments.
I've worked in supermarkets, and restaurants growing up (as well as here). All 3 I understand the 'no phone' argument. At the supermarket you have a line of customers and are constantly busy with them, phone would directly take away from that, plus it's rude to have them wait while you sit on your phone. Every now and then though, you could sneak a phone check or a text when it slowed down. At the restaurant when it wasn't busy you could also sneak a peek at your phone in the back, or in the bathroom, so long as a manager wasn't around or you weren't out around the customers. And even here, years ago, I was operating machinery, I digress here, I wanted headphones, didn't use the phone much. Even still, usage of headphones or a cell phones could have directly resulted in my injury; if the cord from the headphones got caught in the machine, or I was looking at my phone while the machine was running I could have lost a finger. I'm a clutz as it is and am prone to injury anyway, no need to increase that risk. Even at my 'behind the desk' internship, I could sneak the phone more often than the other jobs.
And I'm not the only one guilty of sneaking it at work, everyone does it!
So I get docked often for being on my phone (then again it's family, but even still); I'm more than likely texting someone else who is at work that works that behind the desk job who can text. So I figure why can't I. I'm not directly distracted from my work by it. In fact, most days my work is complete well before 5 o'clock. So where is the problem? I figure that at most other places the boss isn't on you because all they care about is that your work is finished and on time. Here is where I go off on a tangent and vent a bit - many of my friends have the opportunity of working from home; I get snapchats of movies being watched and sites being browsed often as they work from home. None of that matters because their work gets done! Again - this generation multitasks and does it well. This brings me back to my point of if the work is complete what different does it make what you do throughout the process, results are what's important in the work force right?
Now, that all being said, if cell phone use at this type of job is directly taking away from your work and you are constantly late or behind on work then don't use your phone. Otherwise I don't see what the problem is with some phone use while you are getting your work done.
So that's my view on cell phone use. While phones are great, they are a double edged sword. They make communicating easier, but take away from connecting with one another. We are all guilty of using them when we probably shouldn't be.
Check this out.
Key in on the comments section below.
