My Observations and Fret

I recently returned from about a month vacation in Florida.  I definitely had to escape the cold weather coming down from the north to Texas. Anything below 50s is too cold for me! Two weeks of that time my wife and I spent with my best childhood friend, Ron and his wife who vacationing in Florida from Ohio. Loads of fun as we relived old times and shared the laughter of the shenanigans and situations we got ourselves in while we were in elementary and high school.  He hasn't changed much except less hair and more wrinkles. The sense of humor was still there and the smile and laughter I remember remained.

While just he and I  were hanging around together shooting pool or something we not only talked about politics, but how different growing up in the 50s and 60s was as compared to today. As we  looked around the resort where we were staying, most folks were not really socializing with one another but had their phones in their hands, surfing the net, texting and doing whatever you do on today's cell phones. The same thing in the restaurants we visited. Couples together having dinner each engaged on the phone instead in of one another.  I was a little shocked. The cellphone is now taking place of social conversation.

The same goes with today's teens and young adults. Numerous studies found that our young people are not developing the social skills necessary to adequately compete in today's world and that scores on aptitude tests have fallen over the past 5 years. Many psychologists have concluded it is the result of the technology age we live in.  The technology has made our lives better for the most part but it is now taking charge of us instead of vice versa and that is why I am dismayed.

Just yesterday while my daughter and my granddaughter were visiting I tried to engage a conversation with my granddaughter and she had her head buried in her I-Phone so it is on my home front as well.  These are  kids that are not engaged in what is going on around them but the social media the cellphone brings and that concerns me because they will lead our nation sometime in the future.

Of course our parents and grandparents had the same concern with we baby boomers that we would be upcoming leaders so am I fretting over nothing?

I am Carl Hoffman of The 60s Official Site.  Please visit the largest and most visited 60s site on the web.