While most days at coffee shops tend to be a bit noisy, this one was different. It was quiet, except for the occasional sound of typing on a keyboard. That was until a group of teenagers quickly ran into the place, breaking the silence.
They didn’t order anything, but weren’t being disruptive or obnoxious either.
“Look, look” one of the girls said as she shoved her cell phone in front of her girlfriend’s face.
“Why does the light keep turning off?”
“Ugh. I hate this phone.”
Feeling impatient and obviously frustrated, the girl grabbed the phone back from her friend and tapped a few buttons before returning it.
There were a few moments of silence while the friend was reading what seemed to be a text from a boy. The two girls sat close, both nodding their heads as they read.
“And then I said this……and this…“
“He’s so sweet,” her friend said.
They both giggled, while I sat there frozen.
That’s when it hit me. My daughter will soon be that age! And, by soon, I mean… well, 14 years from now. OK, so I admit to going a little overboard with my concerns. But, either way, I was intrigued (and shocked) by the way technology has completely consumed these soon-to-be adults.
The girls joined the others who had come with them, making a group of five – three girls and two boys. All of them were glued to the screens of their cell phones, waiting for the next text, Facebook post, tweet or annoying phone call from their parents.
“I haven’t told my mom about tomorrow yet,” one of the boys said with a smirk.
The girl with the juicy conversation on her cell phone reached into her pocket and held it up for the boy to see.
“Hey, did you hear me and Jacob* made out?” she asked, brushing her hands through her hair.
I sat at a table a few feet away, cringing.
“Yeah, I heard. How did it go?” he said.
She handed him the phone, pointing to show him the text. He nodded his head and smiled before they all decided to leave, heads high and the now “experienced” kisser proud as could be.
While I know I shouldn’t be surprised by anything I saw or heard, I was. I am relatively young, but it still amazes me how much teenage “love” has changed since I was in high school. There were no Facebook, Twitter or smartphones then. I had a cell phone and was able to text, but passed notes (yes, handwritten!) in class, read the newspaper and took notes using a yellow tablet.
A recent article published in The New York Times examines the new age of technology, proposing “the child of tomorrow” will crave less information and instead require more quiet time. Companies like Intel have experimented with the idea of requiring four uninterrupted hours of work per week to clear the minds of their employees. New software is also being introduced to users, allowing buyers to disable Internet connections for those who can’t seem to stay away.
I’m not sure what this will mean for my daughter or the other “children of tomorrow,” but it seems to be moving in the right direction.
And, in all of this conversation about young “puppy love,” the tie between new technology and the increasing need for quiet, there is one tiny detail I forgot to include – my husband and I started dating when I was 15 years old and we used AOL Instant Messenger to keep in touch.
*All names have been changed to protect privacy.