Visiting

When we were kids, and friends came over, we played with them. That seems a pretty obvious thing to do. However when going to other peoples houses, I seemed to spend a lot of time watching TV that I was not really interested in because they were. Or worse watching them play computer games and video games. If friends came over, we were not allowed to read, or watch tv (we could not usually do that anyway) or go on the computer. This is because mum's theory was that if we have friends over we should use the opportunity to socialize.

Now I am noticing it is worse then when I was little, now we have amazing phones and music devices that allow us continual access to the internet and to solo entertainment. This recreational activity has it's place in the social life but it should NOT be when you are physically with friends. At youth group, about 1/2 the people get out their phones and check what their friends are up to, look things up on the net, text and play games. The other half are left wondering why we even go out to meet at all. It kills conversation dead because trying to talk to somebody playing with their device is like trying to do things on the internet pre-broadband.  You ask a question and 5 minutes later it filters through and they say "huh?" Even the people who are not using devices are distracted by the fact that half the group are present in body but not in mind.

I am becoming more and more convinced that I do not want a tv in my house if I get married.