Youngsters today :eek

[Chevvyf1]

We babysat for friends having their 7 year old. He arrived with rucksack and iPad and left with same. He talked little and was swishing his fingers about the screen. Nick realised that he did not know how the game works and that he had to ricochet a cannonball to "open the gates" ... so Nick instructed him ... later he was "playing" another game ... swishing his fingers about the screen ...

I DESPAIR ! We were going to "Fire up" the Wii but I decided I could not bare it ...

This morning I said "good morning " and then "what would you like for Breakfast?" no reply to either as he was... you got it ... swishing fingers over the iPad screen ...

I did not sleep well, as I kept waking to hear "various noises" from the iPad ... which he appeared to play with, between "night naps".

Is it JUST ME (and Nick) who find this lack of conversation or integration down right rude ? or it "the Culture" or lack thereof, now ?

We have lots of Little children up to 6 years in a week, and we enjoy playing Scrabble; Wordspin; Crosswords; Suduko; as well as Pop Up Pirates; Mouse Trap; Monkeys on the Tree and Elefun with them all as well as talking about our day, week, what we have done, can do and would like to do ...

I must be getting really old and GRUMPY !

[Lee]

Re: Youngsters today :eek

Chevy,
Sadly, I think that what you have witnessed is the order of the day. These games and things like 'Faceache' seem to have become an all-conuming passion, causing a loss of spatial awareness and conversation. I recently saw one of the saddest things that I have seen for a while in a local coffee shop, with mum, dad, son and daughter (about 8 or 9 at a guess) all utterly engrossed in game boys, Ipads and mobile texting. A total absence of conversation from them and between them. As I had popped in to read the newspaper and have a quiet half-hour to myself, I could see that this was exactly the right place for me to sit, dear oh dear, what of the art of conversation? Nothing at all to do with old and grumpy.
Maybe we were like that when we were that age... Actually, probably not.
Sympathetically yours,
Lee.

[Grumpy Hec]

Re: Youngsters today :eek

I must be getting really old and GRUMPY !

Ha Ha - another member of the grumpy club. I have been in especially good form of late as due to long standing sailing injuries flaring up I can't sail and have a huge amount of painting and decorating to do thanks to large building works on the house being complete. I'm grumping to gold medal standards. If only it was an Olympic event

As for the kids I've been through that with mine and we have to acknowldge that the world they are growing up in is very different from that we came through. Inevitably they will behave in a way that is influenced by the www and gadgetry.

It does not make it any less palatable of course when all you can see is the whizzing of the texting thumb but if it's consolation as they get older they do seem to mellow and different people reveal themselves. My daughter for instance, 18, gets apaplectic with text speak and oftens complains about people not using correct grammar and the Queen's english when texting. That came as a surprise the first time that surfaced

All is not lost but in the mean time keep up the grumpiness. You know it makes sense.

cheers

Hec

[Chevvyf1]

Re: Youngsters today :eek

Lee and Hec, Thanks at least I know "I am not alone". It is obviously a "Generation" thing ...

Hec, I don't think I shall stay Grumpy - its not really "my thing" as I enjoy being happy and frivolous

[Roberta]

Re: Youngsters today :eek

My girlfriend and husband removedthe cables to the computers and batteries on said items when the kids come home, post homework......................
But I do agree, the motto now is why talk when you can text...............
But then darling husband is just as bad with cable TV. I swear if he could put it onto slidehow so that it rotated through all the channels without having to do it manually, he'd use it. Really annoying while watching a program and the ads come on..................

[Chevvyf1]

Re: Youngsters today :eek

My girlfriend and husband removedthe cables to the computers and batteries on said items when the kids come home, post homework......................
But I do agree, the motto now is why talk when you can text...............
But then darling husband is just as bad with cable TV. I swear if he could put it onto slideshow so that it rotated through all the channels without having to do it manually, he'd use it. Really annoying while watching a program and the ads come on..................

Roberta, I could KILL DH Nick (not married) when I am watching the news and attentive on an article or watching a program and he CHANGES CHANNELS then say "sorry, I didn't know you were watching that ...I'll change back ..." meanwhile the point has been missed

Nick is bad enough - but I cannot imagine what todays children will be like - they are even more insular and converse and think of others EVEN LESS !

[LMGruchy]

Re: Youngsters today :eek

ooer... we msn each other in the house.


Like, "Wot's for supper?"

Saves yelling.

[sponner]

Re: Youngsters today :eek

Its not generational, its just manners

[Guest]

Re: Youngsters today :eek

Chevvy - I am probably so outspoken that it matters little to my reputation what I say, so here goes ...
Gen "x & y" are an entirely different species, which at all levels we are idiologically incompatible !

[Roberta]

Re: Youngsters today :eek

Chevy ditto here and maybe its the NICK factor as my husband is a Nick

[Chevvyf1]

Re: Youngsters today :eek

Chevvy - I am probably so outspoken that it matters little to my reputation what I say, so here goes ...
Gen "x & y" are an entirely different species, which at all levels we are idiologically incompatible !*smash

Yeah! um except at one level, which could be a horizontal or vertical or anywhere in between

... ... I shall leave now and take my hat

[Chevvyf1]

Re: Youngsters today :eek

Chevy ditto here and maybe its the NICK factor as my husband is a Nick

Roberta, I think its in the Genes, Mens Jeans ... they learn from an early age, THIS is how to really WIND UP the Missus and when they get old(er) and grumpy(ier) the remember things from a very young age ...

[SteelD]

Re: Youngsters today :eek

I used to think that it was just men that were geeky and absorbed in gadgets but I see so many women 'glued' to their mobile phones these days. However, I suppose that there is a difference - men are absorbed by gadgets as an item of technology they have to master while women just use them as a way of facilitating conversations with friends.

Not meant to be a sexist remark but just an observation of behaviour.

[Guest]

Re: Youngsters today :eek

Yeah! um except at one level, which could be a horizontal or vertical or anywhere in between
... ... I shall leave now and take my Bat

I'm sure it was a typo so I fixed it !

[SteelD]

Re: Youngsters today :eek

Roberta, I think its in the Genes, Mens Jeans ... they learn from an early age, THIS is how to really WIND UP the Missus and when they get old(er) and grumpy(ier) the remember things from a very young age ...

Chevvyf1, it's how life is - men seem to do some quirky things in a stereotypical way but women do too. The key to getting along is to accept that we are different and think of the positives. If there are times when the negatives outweigh the positives then it's time to take that bike for a ride...