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I was amused by a Facebook friend's recent post in which she railed against a man seated in front of her at a holiday church event who was wearing a baseball cap. Mind you, a cap hugs the skull and doesn't obstruct the view, yet she was incensed. Her friends joined in the pearl-clutching in the thread comments. "How rude!" "Young people today!" "Wasn't raised right!" "And in church, too!"
Okay, whatever. Except that...
Along with this vent, there were pictures and film clips taken in the church - this woman's usual dozen or more (sometimes as many as 50), including videos of this man's head and profile when he turned to the side. It was obvious from the camera angle that every time she took one, she was holding her phone aloft, over her head, which had to have obstructed the view and interfered with the enjoyment of those seated behind. This is to say nothing of photographing a stranger whom you're criticizing and posting it on "public" status.
Which behavior was "ruder"? I was surprised at the lack of self-awareness here. This isn't a stupid woman or one lacking in social skills, but it IS one addicted to her smartphone and social media. My question is, has use of this technology become so commonplace that we now consider it not only unremarkable under any circumstance, but almost obligatory behavior? Is it even possible to engage in activities without someone documenting and posting them? If not, what about the privacy rights of those who would rather not appear in the productions? We won't even get into compulsively staring at the thing, ignoring people who are actually with you, texting and driving, etc. Is this our "new normal," and is anyone besides me concerned about or disturbed by it?
I have had Sunday School classmates receive routine cell phone calls from relatives during Sunday School. While I don't carry a cell phone, if I did and someone I knew called me during Sunday School for anything other than a dire emergency, I would be having a Come-To-Jesus conversation with them about appropriate times for calls.
...
Which behavior was "ruder"? I was surprised at the lack of self-awareness here. This isn't a stupid woman or one lacking in social skills, but it IS one addicted to her smartphone and social media. My question is, has use of this technology become so commonplace that we now consider it not only unremarkable under any circumstance, but almost obligatory behavior? Is it even possible to engage in activities without someone documenting and posting them? If not, what about the privacy rights of those who would rather not appear in the productions? We won't even get into compulsively staring at the thing, ignoring people who are actually with you, texting and driving, etc. Is this our "new normal," and is anyone besides me concerned about or disturbed by it?
Finally, what drives it?
I don't know; given a lot of preachers, the cell phone IS probably a lot more interesting than the sermon. There's a lot of time I find the cell phone more interesting than the mindless babble of the people around me rehashing the last football game over and over.
In answer to your question, given the number of posts about it, perhaps you are a bit more concerned about people using their phones to take pictures than the average person.
I've stopped going to events/shows due to the general public's inability to live in the moment and having to record everything without regard to others around them. The last big concert I attended, in an arena with thousands of people, was completely ruined by the distracting ocean of glowing phone & tablet screens that people were holding up high, recording a singer from 100 or more feet away. I'm sure the audio in those recordings was fantastic, and that everyone who was later subjected to watching this blurry, bootleg footage was thoroughly impressed with the sick camera angles.
I don't especially want to appear in people's photos & videos in the background, which then get published on the internet without my consent.
The final straw was a play I went to in my small town, where once the lights were dimmed I realized I was surrounded by flickering fireflies of phone screens all around, because people are simply unable to go more than 30 minutes without checking their phone...for what? There was a young guy sitting two rows in front of me who obviously wasn't there for the play and all I could see was his nonstop scrolling and swiping, the behavior struck me as mentally ill. I walked out and left at intermission, couldn't take it anymore.
Since majority rules, there's nothing I can do other than bow out. The so-called "connectedness" of modern communication has repelled me to the point that I rarely leave home anymore because of it.
I would think the bigger issue is her pearl-clutching over a social more that probably has little utility, except that A. men wearing hats indoors "isn't done" per historical practices and B. baseball caps are seen as informal so no doubt that's part of her ire as well. The phone is incidental-- she'd still be judgmental of things-that-hurt-no-one-and-affect-her-not-a-jot without it. It's just that it allows her to take things to a new level.
I don’t think baseball caps should be worn in church, but it’s beyond ridiculous that she took photos and video of this man during church service and then shared them on social media.
I don’t think baseball caps should be worn in church, but it’s beyond ridiculous that she took photos and video of this man during church service and then shared them on social media.
and just as ridiculous that the behavior is gossiped about here…
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Not another thread about the evils of cellphone picture takers!
