Figured something out just now.
When everyone had landlines, if you called someone at home and they answered, and it wasn't dinnertime, you were cleared for a nice phone conversation.
With cell phones, people answer when they're busy, when they're in the car, when they're just about to enter a movie theatre, what have you. You never know if it's a good time to have a nice chat. You have to awkwardly establish whether now is a good time, whether the person deems you important enough to spend time talking to rather than whatever activity you interrupted.
I think that's why I don't call people except my parents, who have a landline and therefore if they answer, and it's not dinnertime, we can have a conversation; or my sister, who has no qualms about stating that she's in the middle of Walmart and we'll talk later.
Is that the way it is for other people? Have cell phones killed the meaningful phone conversation? It seems like everyone else is forever and annoyingly glued to their cell phones so some conversations have to be going on. But how do you know when to call? Do people pre-arrange times that the other person will be free to talk?
Man I hate cell phones. I don't want to be available at all times. I want to be available at the office and at home, both times I can talk (though at the office, only for short, important personal matters and of course, work things). I don't want to be available 24/7 for work. I don't want to be bothered in the car. Shopping time is shopping time. I remember when I was shopping for my Dad's birthday present and I forgot my cell phone. I hadn't done that in forever, and it was so freeing. There was nothing that could disturb me. What I was doing was what I was doing.
I only grant cell phones their usefulness for emergencies and the "I can't find you, we were supposed to meet in front of the theatre, oh, you're at the other entrance" type of call.
Plus, I want to smack the phone out of the hands of anyone who is texting while talking to me in person. Every. Single. Time.
This and my survivalist bent makes me think I would be well-suited to living in a cabin in the woods.
You know.
Like the Unabomber.
You know, I've never been a phone conversationalist, which is funny since I like to talk so much. Nowadays I do rely on texting or email because then the person I'm trying to contact can get back to me when they have time. The only person I really talk to on the phone is Nick when he's driving home from work because he's bored. Don't worry, he has a hands free set. Plus, now that I live at home, I just yell down the stairs if I want to talk to my mom.
ReplyDeleteI hate calling people but it has nothing to do with cell phones... If I'm actually busy I have no qualms not answering my cell phone or saying "Hey I'm in the middle of something, can I call you back in 10 min/1 hour/later tonight." We only have a landline for John since he uses it for work, but pretty much every other call I get is a solicitor so I never answer it.
ReplyDeleteIt is very rude when students are texting during discussion sections!