Where have all the idiots come from?

     In our attempt to "simplify" our lives we have resorted to all forms of shortcuts, including in our modes of communication. A recent episode of the TV show Bones (yes I love Bones! But if Booth and Bones don't hook up this season I'm over it, 6 seasons is just to long to wait) the Jersey shore-esque kids (suspects) were being questioned in regards to several text messages sent. I can't even remember the inane sequences of letters and numbers, but it made me realize we really do have people spelling out entire sentences with the first letters only: RUFRTIFR! Yeah don't even try...

     Eek! I have to admit I have become a perpetrator of the modern text language but that is getting ridiculous.

     We all have ADD so bad now we can't even say Attention Deficit Disorder!

     When we resort to such sort cuts it's true we get our point or meaning across quicker, but it's also more likely to be misunderstood (how many relationships have problems because people read into the intonation of text messages incorrectly?), and the beauty and nuance of language is becoming lost - something I love and miss coming from sources other than myself. It's also lowering the general impression of intelligence out there...

     Of course this being said, I am a complete contradiction of my own tirade and absolute hypocrite (like most honest people) - being that I have horrible ADHD (yes I take adderall), text my mother YT (your turn) all the time to remind her of our WWFG (Words With Friends Game), and often have music playing while watching a movie, while playing games on my phone, while writing on my computer...but at least I strive for intelligence and the unusual, the beautiful moments in life...

Carpal-tunnel Texting fingers

     I guess you could say this particular reflection all started when my doctor told me I probably was developing carpal-tunnel in my fingers and wrists, from "texting" (or in my case playing solitaire) on my phone.

     I was at lunch with a friend recently which suffered from prolonged periods of silence. I am a talker and with most people can find some subject upon which to talk over reach other quite successfully, but I my attempts at various lines of thought was met with a kind of verbose vacancy. In other words the person was emitting a decent amount of words but they contained absolutely no meaning or point and definitely did not encourage further pontification. Those dreadful one word answers some people emit on a regular basis probably would have been preferable to trying to wade through streams of words trying to find a point.

     It was only made worse by the fact that the person was intermittently distracted by a series of texts on their phone. Now this is one of my pet peeves. If I am taking time out of my day to hang out with someone for any reason I focus on that person - not my phone. A subtle check every once in awhile is fine. But carrying on rampant text-a-thons is just plain rude.

     As my dining companion picked up their phone only a second after having just set it back down, I heaved a little sigh looked around dreading my own boredom...and proceeded to play solitaire on my own phone. What a pair we must have made in the restaurant - a sad but true representation of my generation.
     ...ironically I was sort of in love with this person - just goes to show how off base "feelings" can be in comparison to logic or understanding.