Cell Phones – Conversation Killers?
Copied from old blog…
This morning I was listening to the JoyFM and they were talking about cell phones and how they are conversation killers. I wasn’t able to listen to the entire conversation because I had to go into a doctor’s office but the idea did hit home with me because I do believe that cell phones today can cause conversations to be shallow, broken, and even killed.
How many times have you been talking to someone and your phone vibrate or ring only to pull your phone out look at it and maybe even reply to a text or answer a call? In that very moment the person who you were in a conversation with must feel as if they are not important. At least I know how I feel when it happens to me.
I am a fan of smart phones. I love the flexibility they offer and the ability we have to find things and show them to others. I think that they can in fact help us in conversations as well but that is an entirely different post. Here are some things to consider when you are using cell phones:
1. When you are in a conversation with someone ignore the phone. I know it’s hard but in that moment the conversation at hand should be more important than the text that just came in.
2. Set a special ringtone for family members so that you can tell if it is family calling you. If you family calls you back to back times it is most likely an emergency and you can simply ask your friend to wait for a second to take that call. We don’t want to miss emergencies but this would be the rare exception.
3. If you pull your phone out to show a photo, website, video, etc while in the conversation, immediatly put it away when you are done. This shows the other person that they are now the center of attention and not the phone.
4. If you know you are expecting a call from someone simply inform the person you are entering a conversation with that you are expecting a call. This tells them up front that you may have to step away at any given point to take a call. This helps create a safe feeling where they don’t feel unimportant when the phone rings.
5. Lastly, if at all possible just turn your phone on silent if you are going to be having a serious conversation with someone. Nothing is worse than getting to a serious point in a conversation only to be interrupted by a loud techno song or some other annoying ring tone.
The overall thought behind this post is to simply treat those people who are face to face with you with respect. We should respect their time, what they are saying, and what they need. Remember they are the ones whom we have the greatest chance to impact in that very moment – not the person on the cell phone. Take time to actually be present (both physically and mentally) with that person and when you are done, return the phone call or the text message – that is the sole purpose of voice mail isn’t it?
“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 7:12 NIV
