In my lifetime, owning a phone went from being for the privileged few to everyone having their own phone, including elementary school students. As of yet, I don’t think preschoolers are toting phones, probably because they may drop them in the sandbox — if they still have sandboxes.
The use of the phone has changed drastically during this same period. I vividly remember how excited my entire extended family was when during a Passover seder in 1947, my oldest cousin called us in Brooklyn all the way from Tulane University. Today people aren’t the least amazed about being able to call or even Skype loved ones on another continent.
The ring of a telephone has gone from being cherished to being ignored. As I child, I rushed to answer it. An unanswered phone meant no one was home. Not anymore. Now I emulate a habit I once criticized in my adult children. Before answering, I see who is calling and sometimes let the answering machine do its job — especially during the dinner hour. The same rule is for my cell. A “ding” lets me know when a message is left.
My young sons called their grandparents, even after they left for college. This habit did not get passed on to their children. Texting is now the preferred means of communication. I’m amazed the name “cellphone” hasn’t been changed to “celltext.”
To me, Facebook has been a fantastic way to really “see” what is going on in my grandchildren’s lives. A picture is worth 1000 words, especially since few school age children respond more than “nothing really” when asked “what’s doing?” It is not unusual for my weekly Mah Jongg game to share special pictures that our loved ones have posted. I’ve learned not to comment on pictures posted of my grandchildren on their streams. It isn’t “cool” for grandparents to add their comments in between hundreds of very young adults’ words of wisdom. I send a private message so I don’t get unfriended.
What has come to be the expected norm for communication in my extended family may soon change. An article I read recently said young people are leaving Facebook for other means of communicating. One way is Twitter. Two of my grandchildren use it now.
I have friends who never joined Facebook. Most of them usually live near their family. Others, like me, have found Facebook an easy way to remain in contact with our extended family. However, more and more of my peers have been using it to share things with each other. We post pictures of unique recipes, family events, and/or our travels. I recently posted pictures of my community’s garden club’s trip to Fairchild Gardens in Miami. And that, according to what I’ve read on Google, is the problem. The young’uns’ feel we have invaded their turf. They fled from MySpace when we invaded and now, since we followed them to Facebook, they are leaving that, also.
One just has to look at the neon nail polish colors sported by gals in their 70s and 80s to realize we’re emulating our children and theirs. Many a woman on Social Security is also wearing the same skin-tight leggings as young women — very young women.
So what’s next? The “follow us on Twitter” suggestion is something I hear daily, so I assume I will soon need a Twitter account. As for fashion, teens are sporting striped hair to match their neon polish. No problem for me here. My hair is already striped — I think it is called salt and pepper, with very little salt — so I’m already in vogue.
Eda Suzanne Lang is author of Retired NOT Expired. She likes to share are about the transition into retirement from the classroom for Life in an active senior community. For more information, contact her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .