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Previously, I expressed my disdain for the new movie "He's Just Not that Into You". However, I recently watched a promo for the movie again.
(Damnnit, TiVo! You've been so good to me. Why won't you let me skip into the future instead of being tortured like this?!)
Wait, where was I? Oh, yeah. So, it brought up an interesting new development I had never really thought too much about. In the promo one of the girls (Drew, I think? Or maybe one of the Jennifers) laments the fact that in today's technological society, one can be rejected in at least six seperate forms of media.
That got me thinking...
I have a Blackberry, a Facebook account, a Myspace account, three email accounts and a friend recently got me into to Twittering (still reserving judgement). I keep in good contact with all my friends on a daily basis....yet I think I've had only five phone conversations in the past month.
Just a few weeks ago I was over my best friend's house. She and I have been friends since college and I am also good friends with her husband who I have known for almost six years.
Said friends are BIG mac people (judge if you will...I do). They had recently purchased a flat screen and we were supposed to be watching some movie, I forget which. During the few hours I spent over there not one of us looked up from or respective devices. Oh, we talked to each other, but we talked about what we were doing on our macs and iphone and blackberrys. It didn't really click what was happening until I was devoid of an electronic device for a moment and realized what was going on.
Yes, I had to have my electronic teat taken away before I realized there were other people in the room.
Now some of you might say, well what?
Let me give you another example. Some time past I was staying with my sis up north. Now Sis has never been very technologically savvy. If it didn't come from a shoe store, its completely alien to her.
We were sitting on the couch watch HGTV and I was "sexting" a guy friend of mine.
If you don't know, I'm not going to explain it so don't ask.
She, of course, asked me what I was doing and why I had a smirk on my face. When I explained she proceeded to look at me as though I had grown fangs.
"Why don't you just call him?", she asked, "How can you get anything out of it?"
And for the life of me I couldn't explain...still can't.
I just do. (Smirk)
I enjoying texting, emailing, poking or even twittering my friends. Its a great for people like me who are socially dyslexic to keep in touch with people without having to actually...you know talk to them.
The flip side, as pointed out by those gravelings in that damn chick flick is that its also a new and exciting way to get dumped.
Back in January I was on my way out of town to visit family when I ran into an old classmate from high school. I'm slightly ashamed to say I didn't remember him, but I played it off rather well if I do say so myself.
We chatted for a few minutes and then he asked for my number. Sure...why not? Well, the longer he talked...the weirder he got. From what I could glean from the conversation he was that psycho kid back in high school who wore a black trenchcoat and still ate paste.
Uh-Oh....see this is why I'm wholly in favor of Barney's Lemon Law. Luckily, my flight got called before he showed me all of the paper dolls he made of the people who wronged him in junior high.
Unlucky for me he also friended me on Facebook...and called me....and texted me.
And I never answered....at all...not even once. Because...really, I'm not trying to be called upon the witness stand after he expresses his true feelings at the class reunion.
So there you have it. I rejected a man in three different forms of communication.
Does that make it harsher. No, I don't think so. Because it also gave him three different ways to bug the crap out of me...for a month. (Yeah, I'm going to say that taking hints weren't his strong suit.)
Now before you right me off as a bi$#%, I've had my fare share of electronic induced stress.
Specifically the type brought on by that unbelievably long wait during your typical email flirt session. You send him a suitably flirtatious email with just the right amount of sweet and then you wait...and wait.
Its the equivalent to that painfully long pause on the phone when you're talking to a guy and you've said something so mind-numbingly dumb that he has to school his response before he answers because...well, he does still want to sleep with you.
But the email pause is worse. Why? Well, even if you've said the right thing. Even if you crafted the perfect witty response to whatever joke he just made, you still have to wait and you have no idea why.
He may have lost his internet connection...he may be distracted by people he's actually in the room with...he may even be working on his thoughtful retort.
But you don't know that. All you have is a fifteen minute panic attack as you stare at the screen begging that damn pop up window to tell you've got mail.
Do I think all this technology has made relationships more strenuous and difficult. No.
Do I think its made dating richer and more engaged? ....No.
Its just a new flavor on the menu.
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(Damnnit, TiVo! You've been so good to me. Why won't you let me skip into the future instead of being tortured like this?!)
Wait, where was I? Oh, yeah. So, it brought up an interesting new development I had never really thought too much about. In the promo one of the girls (Drew, I think? Or maybe one of the Jennifers) laments the fact that in today's technological society, one can be rejected in at least six seperate forms of media.
That got me thinking...
I have a Blackberry, a Facebook account, a Myspace account, three email accounts and a friend recently got me into to Twittering (still reserving judgement). I keep in good contact with all my friends on a daily basis....yet I think I've had only five phone conversations in the past month.
Just a few weeks ago I was over my best friend's house. She and I have been friends since college and I am also good friends with her husband who I have known for almost six years.
Said friends are BIG mac people (judge if you will...I do). They had recently purchased a flat screen and we were supposed to be watching some movie, I forget which. During the few hours I spent over there not one of us looked up from or respective devices. Oh, we talked to each other, but we talked about what we were doing on our macs and iphone and blackberrys. It didn't really click what was happening until I was devoid of an electronic device for a moment and realized what was going on.
Yes, I had to have my electronic teat taken away before I realized there were other people in the room.
Now some of you might say, well what?
Let me give you another example. Some time past I was staying with my sis up north. Now Sis has never been very technologically savvy. If it didn't come from a shoe store, its completely alien to her.
We were sitting on the couch watch HGTV and I was "sexting" a guy friend of mine.
If you don't know, I'm not going to explain it so don't ask.
She, of course, asked me what I was doing and why I had a smirk on my face. When I explained she proceeded to look at me as though I had grown fangs.
"Why don't you just call him?", she asked, "How can you get anything out of it?"
And for the life of me I couldn't explain...still can't.
I just do. (Smirk)
I enjoying texting, emailing, poking or even twittering my friends. Its a great for people like me who are socially dyslexic to keep in touch with people without having to actually...you know talk to them.
The flip side, as pointed out by those gravelings in that damn chick flick is that its also a new and exciting way to get dumped.
Back in January I was on my way out of town to visit family when I ran into an old classmate from high school. I'm slightly ashamed to say I didn't remember him, but I played it off rather well if I do say so myself.
We chatted for a few minutes and then he asked for my number. Sure...why not? Well, the longer he talked...the weirder he got. From what I could glean from the conversation he was that psycho kid back in high school who wore a black trenchcoat and still ate paste.
Uh-Oh....see this is why I'm wholly in favor of Barney's Lemon Law. Luckily, my flight got called before he showed me all of the paper dolls he made of the people who wronged him in junior high.
Unlucky for me he also friended me on Facebook...and called me....and texted me.
And I never answered....at all...not even once. Because...really, I'm not trying to be called upon the witness stand after he expresses his true feelings at the class reunion.
So there you have it. I rejected a man in three different forms of communication.
Does that make it harsher. No, I don't think so. Because it also gave him three different ways to bug the crap out of me...for a month. (Yeah, I'm going to say that taking hints weren't his strong suit.)
Now before you right me off as a bi$#%, I've had my fare share of electronic induced stress.
Specifically the type brought on by that unbelievably long wait during your typical email flirt session. You send him a suitably flirtatious email with just the right amount of sweet and then you wait...and wait.
Its the equivalent to that painfully long pause on the phone when you're talking to a guy and you've said something so mind-numbingly dumb that he has to school his response before he answers because...well, he does still want to sleep with you.
But the email pause is worse. Why? Well, even if you've said the right thing. Even if you crafted the perfect witty response to whatever joke he just made, you still have to wait and you have no idea why.
He may have lost his internet connection...he may be distracted by people he's actually in the room with...he may even be working on his thoughtful retort.
But you don't know that. All you have is a fifteen minute panic attack as you stare at the screen begging that damn pop up window to tell you've got mail.
Do I think all this technology has made relationships more strenuous and difficult. No.
Do I think its made dating richer and more engaged? ....No.
Its just a new flavor on the menu.
|
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