Slackers and Smartphones
A Generation X Rant
I am not a millennial. I do not sleep with my cell phone, and I cannot send a text message one-handed from the pocket of my jeans.
I am a Generation Xer. And by that definition, I am an adaptable skeptic — a part of the generation that helped shape technology today with our steadfast belief in ourselves and a “you can’t tell us what to do” attitude. We didn’t invent the internet; we figured out what to do with it. Technology is a tool, and I use it regularly. But in typical Xer fashion, I am not a slave to it.
Recently, I brushed against my stubborn resistance to the smartphone revolution when my husband purchased me a shiny new Google Pixel. “Give it a chance,” he said as he handed me the store-wrapped box. I rolled my eyes. What did he mean? I use my cell phone all the time, and I certainly didn’t need a new, smarter version.
If anything, the smartphone is “a master at the art of time suckage.” (Yes, Reality Bites is my go-to for quotable pop culture.) I should be able to connect to my friends, family, and co-workers on my terms, not every time my device buzzes. We don’t have to share every stray thought that makes its way into our consciousness. And God knows, most of mine are not suitable for all audiences.
