by Bridgitte Reddick

Let me start by saying that I love technology.

The first time I worked on a computer was with punch cards.  My first cell phone was so huge that I had a separate carrying case for it that looked like a small shoulder bag.  I’ve had pagers, one of the first Palm Pilots, a Blackberry and a Wing.

I admit that I like having the latest and greatest technology, but something has been irking me lately.  No matter where I go, people are texting, tweeting, Facebooking, and talking to themselves – or, so I think until I realize they are on their cell phone with a Bluetooth earpiece. Very few people are having conversations with a person who is physically present.

I was recently in a restaurant with my husband. We decided to take an informal survey and we didn’t have to look too hard or too far to find someone texting or tweeting.  There was a table of 4 with each person keying or talking on their cell phone.  This was interesting and we wanted to see how their dinner would go.

Now these were people that looked to be in their 30s, so we’re not talking teenagers here.  During the entire time we were there, they came up for air to place their order and occasionally to say a few words – no lively discussions or engaging conversation.  They hardly looked at each other.  What was the point???

Then, a short time after that, I was in a car with 2 people that I know – one was on the phone and the other was texting for the entire drive!  People are doing this all over. Take a look around you and see if you see the same thing.

Due to the lack of face-to-face conversations we’re having, I’ve officially started a crusade to bring back the art of conversation. Our kids can barely engage in a conversation anymore because they’re not learning this.  And even some adults don’t know how to have dialogue. It’s very sad. Technology is okay, but not at the expense of our ability to be able to talk to people through regular conversation.

Will you join me in my crusade? Make a date with a friend or loved one and make it clear to them this is a time to connect with each other…in person. No phones or other techno-gadgets have a place on the table. It’s just time to spend with the other person. We’ll hopefully walk away feeling more of a bond with the other and less stressed from being so plugged in.

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