Remember when you could just be 'out of touch' for a few hours?
By @xenakk · Culture
Back when I was starting out, you could go to the movies or go to dinner and nobody expected to hear from you. Now my kids and even my coworkers act like it's a crisis if I don't respond to a text in fifteen minutes. We've lost something important.
The full story
I was thinking about this the other day. When I was in my 20s and 30s, the world felt bigger because you couldn't be reached all the time. You'd make plans to meet someone at 7pm, and you just had to trust they'd be there. If you were running late, there was no way to let them know, you just showed up flustered and apologized. There was a certain peace in being unreachable. Now, my phone buzzes constantly. I have my adult kids, my boss, my friends, all in different group chats, and there's an expectation of instant response. If I put my phone on silent to watch a movie, I come back to three missed calls and a string of texts asking if I'm okay. It's not that I don't like being connected, it's just that the *obligation* to be connected feels heavy. It's like there's no off switch anymore. I miss the days when you could just disappear into your own life for an evening without a search party being sent out. It felt more restful.
How people voted
- Valid Take — 39% (14 votes)
- I’m Torn — 42% (15 votes)
- Bad Take — 19% (7 votes)
Readers are split: “I’m Torn” leads with 42% — 36 votes and 5 comments so far.
What people are saying
@vincetbh — Just turn your phone off, it's not that complicated.
@maddy — so real
@ohnoitsme — Sounds like a you problem.
@brynnkay — My family has a rule that when we go out to dinner, the first person to touch their phone pays the whole bill.
@levihere — I mute all my group chats. If it's a real emergency they can call me.
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