As I was waiting in line for lunch, amidst the hustle and bustle of University life, I noticed a girl hanging off her boyfriend. Normally, this would not attract my attention (as it is a fairly common occurrence within the dramatic environment of the “University Romances”), but this situation was different. She was feverishly looking over her shoulder, and tried to keep her pleas for attention quiet, so as to not attract any attention. She kept reaching for his hands, that were up by his face, trying to get him to look at her.
Her boyfriend, a rather built fellow, standing about 6ft 4in, was engrossed in his cell phone. Thumbs dancing across the touch screen keyboard, talking to someone who was, hopefully, more than 10 ft away. No matter how hard she tried, he could not see her, his eyes glazed over with the reflection of the tiny LCD screen, arms ridged in place to facilitate his distant conversation.
Finally, he pressed send. His arms relaxed, and he awoke back into reality.
“What were you saying?” he asked her
She looks at him with concern “Didn’t you hear me? You never listen to me anymore! You’re always...”
Pa-ding!
He’s miles away again, eyes focused on the tiny black brick in his hands. I feel an electric jolt of emotional pain as she begins to cry. She looks around frantically for an exit, and takes the first opening in the crowd she spots. We all shuffle awkwardly forward. I notice that I’m not the only one who’s been listening. Looks of disgust, anger, even a few people gasping for air like fish, trying to work up the courage to say something to this inconsiderate man.
He presses send again, breaking the spell. Looking around the crowd, he tries to locate his girlfriend. Did he not just witness the situation that he was a part of? He mumbles her name, scanning his surroundings for her face.
A voice from somewhere in the crowd says what we all are thinking:
“She’s gone, you dick.”
He leaves the line, and begins to leave the cafeteria when he is stopped once more, frozen in place, under the spell of the cell.
In any relationship, friend, significant other, secret lover, all those sorts of things, communication is so vital. It is the key factor that makes everything work. Make it stop, and the relationship slowly peals apart like old wallpaper. Piece by piece, crumbling and falling to the ground, leaving the room looking unkempt and unliveable. In some cases, it can be fixed with a little time and effort, but in others, there’s no going back.
There is no excuse for being rude like this. Somehow, like hats being worn indoors, it has been made socially acceptable to text during a conversation. Granted, I am guilty of both, but I apologize for the latter. It’s almost like having your conversation be cut into by someone who’s not even there.
I view texting during a conversation the same way I view bad gas. If it is an urgent situation, you should excuse yourself, deal with it, and then come back. However, if it is just the sound of digestion, you don’t need to go “relieve yourself” right at every bubble and groan. Sometimes things can’t wait, like phone calls or the shits. However, friends, the angry bee in your pocket can wait.
I do not know either of the couple, just this tiny glimpse into their lives. However, I wish her the strength to give him a piece of her mind, and perhaps put his phone in the microwave or oven.
Thanks for writing Kappa!
ReplyDeleteAs sad as this story is I think that this behavior is becoming more the norm then a random happening. We, as a society, have submerged ourselves in technology under the guise of being "more connected" and having "greater freedoms" and realistically we are no more then slaves to our phones/computers/blackberry/ipods.
I recently read a study that stated that there is overwhelming evidence to support that we are actually better at focusing on a single thing at a time (rather then multitasking) and that high use of cell phones/ ipods/computers/blackberries actually correlates with higher levels of stress, relationship problems, as well as depression. I think that we have all forgotten that there was a time before mobile technology where we were still connected, up to date and actually took part in face-to-face interactions.
Your story is a reminder that we need to critically assess our lives and how we (or our mobiles) run them. Perhaps its time to wake up from our technological daze.
The microwave. I think putting the phone in the microwave is a perfect demonstration of displeasure. Unfortunately, I think it would damage the microwave as well. Perhaps under the rear tire of a vehicle.
ReplyDeleteUnless one is checking to see that the tickets for the show are available online, cellphones should not be part of any relationship event, like a talk, a walk, or a date.
I've noticed that in hospital elevators, people (usually guys, sorry) start frantically texting and checking their email the moment the doors close. It's interesting that people are so eager to communicate on the one hand, but on the other hand do NOT want to communicate with people who are actually present.
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