Our ability to communicate

As the semester is winding down, I find myself noticing things about technology that both enhances my life and bugs the crap out of me.

Recently I have had the opportunity to travel with the women's soccer team as a part of their postseason run.  Unfortunately it ended with a runner-up trophy and not the National Title, but it was great.  Anyway one of the greatest things about that team is that when they eat meals together, they are not allowed to have their cell phones with them.

Now, I would be worried that the conversation would be dull or the room we were put in to eat would be quiet or almost silent and I found that it was quite the opposite.  I don't know if it is because of the connection that these women have with each other, but they constantly were abuzz with new topics ranging from sports, preparation for the game to school work and upcoming final exams.

It actually gave me a little bit of hope in the human race that we can still talk face-to-face without having the crutch of a cell phone in our hands.  I actually think I was the weird one because I always have my phone because you never know when the media would need something...and on this trip they needed a lot.

The funny thing is that I actually noticed myself "needing" my phone more and more on these trips and I was so thankful that I had an iPhone because if I was still stuck with my blackberry a lot more people would be left behind without e-mails or information I provided them just because I had that phone. (oh hey run-on sentence).

Anyway it was great to see these girls in shock when other teams had their phones not only with them, but OUT on the table during a keynote speaker.  That is how you know you have trained your team well.

So things that bug the crap out of me though is when people do not have cell phone manners.  If you are in a crowded room and you get a phone call, please step out of the room.  If you have clicky keys like on a blackberry, try to keep your clicking to a minimum.  And if you are like me and you forget not everyone has a smart phone, be mindful of how many messages and how fast you are sending them.

That was all I had for today.  Nothing too spectacular.

Grad Girl out!