It has its ups, it has its downs. It’s convenient, helps people stay in touch, etc. I check FB once, twice a week (if I remember) for any messages, otherwise that’s it. Sometimes I’ll send an “I’m thinking of you!” message.
I do get frustrated when someone looks at their phone and texts or starts playing a game while we’re talking, or playing our own game. I do not think that one can read a text message and start thinking of their own reply while also listening to what I am saying and carry the conversation forward. And I wonder if they are just bored. When someone pulls out their phone, I stop talking and wait for them to finish, even if I am mid-sentence. If they even notice I stopped mid-sentence, I get a “oh, you can keep going, I’m listening” and I still have to come up with a reply to that one.. “Looks like you just went into another conversation, it’s okay, I’ll wait” maybe? Or the honest “that’s kind rude, could you stop?” I suppose. Sometimes I don't finish and we're just on a different topic all of a sudden.
At New Year’s Eve, we were playing Cards Against Humanity in our basement with some friends, and for each person’s turn..we were all laughing like hyenas. But the guy next to me was playing some game on his phone where you try to match 3, 4, 5 bubbles or gems in a row type game. For hours. He wasn’t laughing or joining in with the camaraderie. Just kept playing on his phone, putting in a card when it was time, and his only input to the group was making very inappropriate comments (yeah, if you’ve played this card game, there can hardly be any inappropriate comments. Somehow, he managed, repeatedly.) I wanted to throw his phone.
I think it’s fine, if not a little sad, that people stare at the screens all the time (as it seems), but that’s just me. I like looking at the birds, the leaves on the trees, the clouds, the person/people I'm with. Other people don't care about them things.
