I’m not a youngster. I was actually born when people still listened to 45s, when a bottle of pop could be had for a dime.
I was even born before most homes had rotary phones. The operator hooked us up with the person we wanted to reach. If you lived in the country, as my cousins did, you were probably on a ‘party’ line, which meant you not only waited for someone in your own house to get off the phone, you could potentially find yourself waiting for a neighbour to end a call before you could make your own.
We got three channels on our television and Dad’s fiddling with the rabbit ears hopefully got rid of most of the snow on the screen. If I wanted to play games I went outside or sat at a table with a board, die and tokens.
With the advancements in technology, life has certainly changed from those times for all of us, particularly in the last few decades. The internet has opened doors of communication that many people, especially those of my generation and older, couldn’t have imagined.
Despite certain issues social media, we all know it has its benefits, most notably in how it has connected us to others. Think of the 75-year-old gentlemen who lost his fishing partner and posted a request for a companion to accompany him on his angling adventures. The response was huge and what could have turned into a lonely existence suddenly meant a continued fulfilling life.
Think too, of the posts of lost pets, and more importantly missing children. Whether you like it or not, there’s no denying that used as intended, social media is an indispensable tool.
New technologies too have brought us all kinds of ‘toys’. GPSs instantly come to mind. When I think of the days when my husband and I would travel to unknown places, a map spread out on my lap in the passenger’s seat, and a wrong turn or squabble imminent. Now some friendly voice patiently guides us, remaining calm when we opt to not listen.
Cellphones have made landlines almost extinct, though a few dinosaurs likes my husband still hang on. The positive attributes of this technology are as known as the less so. Sadly, we’ve all had that dinner with a friend who seems far more interested in that phone than in conversation with you.
Putting the negatives aside, however, I’m a big fan of most of this. Social media has linked me to family and old friends in a way that wasn’t possible before. And the convenience of texting, while at times annoying, is undeniable. Message sent, get to it when you can. The ball, as we say, is in your court.
One of my favourite texters is my four-year-old granddaughter. Since she can’t spell enough yet to carry on much of a conversation, she chats in her own style — with oodles and oodles of stickers. From her favourite ‘neigh’neighs’ to hearts and smiley faces she inundates me with adorableness.
Since Mom and Dad just happen to have iPhones, I can hardly wait to tell them about the new stickers available on iTunes created from Vital Imagery Ltd’s AnimationFactory.com. From Animal Chores to special holidays, there are a number of categories from which to choose delightful stickers to enhance iMessages. It’s as easy as a touch or a drag.
