I’m sitting in a local coffee shop reading (three things at once: The Present Future, 7 Practices of Effective Ministry, and A PRE-RELEASE COPY of Doug Pagitt’s and KP’s new book, Body Prayer…I’m cool like Bob). Anyway, I’m sitting here, and there are three college students, 2 girls and a guy. They’re talking loud, so it’s hard NOT to eavesdrop. They’re sitting at the same table, laptops fired up. They’ve got one chat session for the three of them, and one just between the guy and one of the girls.
I am in awe at the multi-tasking.
They have a verbal conversation going (it’s the weakest link). They’re sort of studying, one trying to write a paper. The guy and the girl evidently are suggestively flirting in the private IM conversation (Guy, verbally: “I’ll never be able to look you in the face again!” Girl, verbally to other girl: “Do you want me to send you a copy of what we just chatted?” Other girl, verbally: “NO, thank you.”)
I can see one of the girl’s screens. The two chat windows are open, an e-mail is open, and the paper she’s “working” on. Then she gets a call on the cell phone, and chats away to someone else. Then the guy gets a text message on HIS cell phone.
And I realize, maybe I can’t claim the title “techno geek” any more.
I gaurantee no more than two lines were written between the three of them… and they were up until at least 3am finishing their papers that “took forever.”
Greg,If you’ve used the word “hip” you already know that you’re not. =)Kidding!Or am I?You’re rad.Aaron
Hey, Aaron, all part of the schtick… 🙂
Take a hint from Nintendo: you’re “classic” tech-geek. In the next Nintendo model, the player can play *all* games – cause even with all the gadgets and gizmos and extras, some days you just need to play a good round of Duck Hunt.At least you know what the students were doing and didn’t refer to it as “some chatting thing.” If anyone attaches “thing” to a tech item, that’s a glaring spotlight on their unhipness (though Library Thing is pretty darn cool and hip).Okay, I’m going to go do my hip job of wiping snot from my son’s nose: it’s a beautiful life, I tell ya.
No, NO, AJ, I am SOOOO much older than you think. Classic Nintendo was my brother’s innovation, and he’s five years younger! I was the old Atari console systemI’m old.