Aug
After spending this past week on vacation with my 18 year old stepdaughter I’ve come to wonder if this generation of young people will be able to hold a conversational exchange (verbally that is) in their future lives. My daughter is a pretty, fun and a social kind of gal, just finished her freshman year of college and aspires to become a grade school teacher.
I observed all week that all while I was talking, she was texting, added a few comments, grunts and nods to let me know she was listening but I never got the warm fuzzy feeling she was present in many of my conversations. This went on all week in all of our social situations with the exception of my telling her to “leave the phone home” while we went to dinner with friends who invited us to their home. When I said that you’d thought I just said “leave your right arm at home!”
Now my daughter isn’t alone in the world of texting and ignoring, because I obeserved the same behavior in my niece and nephews the same age group. So it got me wondering this week…
Am I a prude and not “hip” to technology and respectful of their generations preferred communication style?
Should I not expect these teenagers to be fully present when in the company of others who are not their peers?
I ask myself am I judging to harshly and should I let go of the notion that the most intimate communication is verbal and that perhaps nonverbal communication is just as effective?
Should I not expect a teenager to participate in dialougue which requires them asking questions and waiting for an exchange to begin (conversation) ?
I happen to believe that relationships both personally and professionally are built on verbal communication, getting to know one another, paying attention to body language and making eye contact – has this become passe’ or will the coming generation do business and create their personal relationships differently?
