Staying in Touch

A story in the paper recently caught my eye. In 2006 a law was enacted in North Carolina, which made it illegal for kids under 18 to use their cell phones while driving. The Insurance Institute ran a very low tech study, where they basically watched teens leaving the school parking lot and came to the conclusion that most kids still talk on their phones while driving.

It doesn’t surprise me. Brittany can’t stand being without her phone. When she was in Mobile, Alabama earlier this summer she didn’t have her laptop and cell service was spotty, plus she was tied up with seminars most of the time. On her breaks if she was lucky enough to stand in the right spot and get a signal she would call us to check her Facebook profile to make sure she wasn’t missing any of her friend’s birthdays or they hadn’t left her any messages.

Some people think that technology has made the kids less social, but I think the opposite is true. Between the internet, texting and cell phones, Brittany is in contact with her circle of friends all the time and can tell you exactly where they are, what they are doing and most likely even what they are thinking!

She was glad to get back to school and start her two summer jobs. Until she found out the one where she would be spending the most time, a lake resort, has no cell service. But, except for being out of touch with her world during those hours, she’s having a ball. She’s the activity manager and she drives people around the lake on pontoon boats, rides a sea do or a golf cart on errands, heads up bingo by the pool, makes popcorn and s’mores for the younger guests, leads hikes, sets up picnics and was even told by her boss that if a guest wanted to sit by the pool for an hour talking to her, that was part of her job description! Brittany has found her dream job! She’s getting paid to talk!

She even carries a walkie-talkie to communicate with other employees. She can’t call us on it of course, but there are lots of hours she works her other job or is on the road in between and she usually calls as soon as she drives into an area with service.

One day John poked his head into my office and said, “You are home! I was just talking to Brittany on the phone and she asked me to tell you something. I said you weren’t home, but she insisted you were, because she had just gotten an email from you. I can’t believe she’s two hours away and had to tell me you’re in the next room!”

What did we ever do before all this technology?