Mystery, an endangered species
Technology is a mystery killer. As nifty as it can be for convenience and just plain FUN, I have to say it's taking off the veil of everything.
If you're in my generation (X) or earlier, then you definitely remember when cords were attached to walls and how you had to manuever your 20 ft. phone cord down the hall and into the bathroom/closet/bedroom so you could talk to THE boy. His mom always answered first and you were mortified to ask if he was home, but oh how awesome was it to talk for 3 hours about nothing in the closet while your Dad is calling for you for dinner. When Caller ID came along, OhMYGod, it was like, magic. But then whoever you were calling would see who it is...and they could decide not to be home. You never knew!
You also didn't know where your latest crush was, what he was doing, who he was hanging out with at that very moment because there was no such thing as a social network other than sitting in the commons at school. If a boy liked you and wanted to ask you out, there was no texting, no email, no chatting online, no easy way. He either had to scrawl you a note (on paper. Seriously) or call you in front of your family, or...wait for it...face-to-face. Or through your girlfriends. You know, to see if you liked him first.
I remember spending many a class period writing my best girlfriends notes in my composition notebook, then folding it into an envelope, decorating it with stars and hearts, anticipating the moment I could hand it to her. Then the agony of waiting for her to write back!
And if you wanted to flirt/fight/dump your boyfriend, you had to do it either on the phone or in person...or like the guys, just ignore. But now, girls/guys cannot be ignored. Unless they are summarily blocked on Facebook, the cell phone, the messenger, then you have to delete their friends because he/she could just stalk through their FB page,
etc. And once that position has been taken, sides are divided and small wars erupt all because of the word "delete." :s
Now, don't get me wrong. I love Facebook. Rejoice in its genuis. And there's no law that says you have to use it, or even post a status, ever. I'm just sayin' back in the day (haha. I can't believe I'm already saying that!), mystery was working for you. Now you have to work for mystery.
Celebrities these days can't get away with anything with camera phones whipped out like hip pistols and the ease of websites like YouTube. They can't do anything remotely scandalous unless they want it exploited and uploaded in less than it takes to blink. Sure, some of them do crazy things on purpose for publicity, but for those who truly want to be themselves in public, forget it. Every time they eat, fall, punch a photographer in the face, say something snarky, or go to the club and sin like tomorrow ain't coming...it's more than likely going to be captured.
Speaking of YouTube. If you plan to run for office, obtain a noble job, or even GET a job, then I suggest you hire bodyguards in high school/college while you're getting your fun on. You never know when that video of you and what's-their-face doing nefarious, most of the time harmless acts, will pop up in your life again. Your ticket to the ultimate political seat could be scratched off permanently, I think. Everyone's a judge these days.
I talked to a few high school girls who say the constant pressure to be "on." 24/7. There is no such thing such as throwing on a sweatshirt and heading over to your best friend's house to hang out. You never know when someone will want to take a selfie, or Snapchat, or *gasp* a live video! They feel they have to be perfectly dressed with makeup on even just to watch TV. That must be the worst, on top of all the "normal" pressure of being a teenager entails. I'm grateful more than ever having a cell phone was nowhere near the norm yet when I was in high school.
But, 'tis the times.
I just wish mystery hadn't been aside for the blatant excuse of being transparent in ALL sides of life.
If you're in my generation (X) or earlier, then you definitely remember when cords were attached to walls and how you had to manuever your 20 ft. phone cord down the hall and into the bathroom/closet/bedroom so you could talk to THE boy. His mom always answered first and you were mortified to ask if he was home, but oh how awesome was it to talk for 3 hours about nothing in the closet while your Dad is calling for you for dinner. When Caller ID came along, OhMYGod, it was like, magic. But then whoever you were calling would see who it is...and they could decide not to be home. You never knew!
You also didn't know where your latest crush was, what he was doing, who he was hanging out with at that very moment because there was no such thing as a social network other than sitting in the commons at school. If a boy liked you and wanted to ask you out, there was no texting, no email, no chatting online, no easy way. He either had to scrawl you a note (on paper. Seriously) or call you in front of your family, or...wait for it...face-to-face. Or through your girlfriends. You know, to see if you liked him first.
I remember spending many a class period writing my best girlfriends notes in my composition notebook, then folding it into an envelope, decorating it with stars and hearts, anticipating the moment I could hand it to her. Then the agony of waiting for her to write back!
And if you wanted to flirt/fight/dump your boyfriend, you had to do it either on the phone or in person...or like the guys, just ignore. But now, girls/guys cannot be ignored. Unless they are summarily blocked on Facebook, the cell phone, the messenger, then you have to delete their friends because he/she could just stalk through their FB page,
Now, don't get me wrong. I love Facebook. Rejoice in its genuis. And there's no law that says you have to use it, or even post a status, ever. I'm just sayin' back in the day (haha. I can't believe I'm already saying that!), mystery was working for you. Now you have to work for mystery.
Celebrities these days can't get away with anything with camera phones whipped out like hip pistols and the ease of websites like YouTube. They can't do anything remotely scandalous unless they want it exploited and uploaded in less than it takes to blink. Sure, some of them do crazy things on purpose for publicity, but for those who truly want to be themselves in public, forget it. Every time they eat, fall, punch a photographer in the face, say something snarky, or go to the club and sin like tomorrow ain't coming...it's more than likely going to be captured.
Speaking of YouTube. If you plan to run for office, obtain a noble job, or even GET a job, then I suggest you hire bodyguards in high school/college while you're getting your fun on. You never know when that video of you and what's-their-face doing nefarious, most of the time harmless acts, will pop up in your life again. Your ticket to the ultimate political seat could be scratched off permanently, I think. Everyone's a judge these days.
I talked to a few high school girls who say the constant pressure to be "on." 24/7. There is no such thing such as throwing on a sweatshirt and heading over to your best friend's house to hang out. You never know when someone will want to take a selfie, or Snapchat, or *gasp* a live video! They feel they have to be perfectly dressed with makeup on even just to watch TV. That must be the worst, on top of all the "normal" pressure of being a teenager entails. I'm grateful more than ever having a cell phone was nowhere near the norm yet when I was in high school.
But, 'tis the times.
I just wish mystery hadn't been aside for the blatant excuse of being transparent in ALL sides of life.
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