A recent visit to the dentist with the kids turned out into some interesting adventure. Our son, Martin, brought with him a small toy football. At best we figured he was going to use it as a stress reliever as he sat there waiting for his sister to be seen by the orthodontist.
In the waiting room, a young boy walked in. He was certainly a little older than Martin. He sat at the opposite end of the room. He noticed the toy football Martin was holding. A few minutes later, we noticed facial and hand gestures between Martin and the other boy.
It was not long after that we noticed the toy football airborne headed toward the boy on the other end of the room. He was quick to catch it and throw it back. A throwing and catch game was on. A nurse walked in and said, “I thought I saw a football in the air” she exclaimed with a sense of surprise. Interestingly, she figured these two young boys just needed something to keep them busy. She did not stop them. The game continued.
When we got home, we asked Martin, the name of the boy he was playing with. It was not a surprise, he did not know! It struck me that this was a typical example of the relationship young people have today. For example, in their online gaming, they make friends as they play with them or against them but never really get to know them more than their on-screen names. An array of non-verbal communication is developed that appears to negate real face time and the formalities of meeting face to face.
It is no surprise then, Martin and this new found ‘friend’ were comfortable playing together but did not really get to know each other well. The space between them (connected by air) and a device (toy football) made way for a game that they both enjoyed. However, despite the fact they were both in the same room, no verbal communication transpired. They both left the room knowing only the ‘Real Screen Face’ of each other.
As a parent, I think we may have a talk with Martin to square things out. What is your take?
