Saturday evening while listening to a podcast on Google Play, I unintentionally changed from ‘How I Built This with Guy Raz’ to ‘Truth Hurts’ by Lizzo. I was driving at the time, and I’ll be honest; I have no idea what I did to change what was playing. Is driving while podcasting a thing?
While I’m on the topic of being clueless while driving, I must confess that I didn’t know anything about Lizzo. If not for one lyrical line around the forty-second mark of the song, I would have considered hearing Lizzo – sing, rap, or whatever she does – little other than an unfortunate occurrence. That was until I heard her say, “Don’t text me, tell it straight to my face.”
Don’t Text Me, Tell It Straight To My Face
Starting to feel the beat while bobbing my head to the music, I thought “Lizzo, why not skip referring to yourself as the “B” word. Get right down to the most crucial expression of the song – “Don’t text me, tell it straight to my face.”
From out of Lizzo’s mouth – which I might add needs to be washed out with soap quickly – to my genteel virgin ears was the making of a national anthem promising improved social skills. Thumping my stereo speakers was a public service announcement for every incessant text messaging person, please in the name of Lizzo “don’t text me, tell it straight to my face.”
Hello, Debbie Downer
Look, it is not my intention to be Debbie Downer. Believe you me, I embrace technology as much as anyone, but someone has to say it – so many of our texts are just excessive. Not only are many of our texts unnecessary they are passive aggressive. Often, our texts further depress what is already a poor state of humanity.
So, here I am telling you the truth. However, you should know I’m not the only one who shares this assessment of our never-ending, trilogy length novel-like texts.
I’ve talked with some of our friends and family members, and they feel as I do, but they don’t want to hurt your feelings. I, on the other hand, am too tired of hearing the pinging sound of texts, exhausted from having to avoid the collision course of people who are walking while texting and fatigued by seeing families sit together at restaurants communicating with people other than those at the table to care about hurt feelings any longer.
Per Lizzo, Truth Hurts! So I’m not texting you, I’m telling it straight to your face. (Well actually I’m expressing my feelings via social media, but you know what I mean.)
Lost Humanity
Somehow the advent of texts caused many of us to lose sight of the significance of humanity and what it means to be a person. Thanks for nothing technology as vast numbers of people irrationally now expect others to do something for them like show up for an event, provide answers to a professional query, and even spend money on them and their family without ever looking that other human being in the eye or speaking to them verbally. Please don’t get it, twisted people; humans are not Google, Alexa, or Siri!
Thus before you end up on your friend’s or family’s block text list allow me to take a second to provide you with three Emily Post type texting etiquette suggestions.
- When you could call the person faster than you can position your grubby little hands and fat fingers on the phone to send a text, call the person!
- When you know the reply to your question can’t be shared in less time than it takes to dial the number or tap the person’s face on your speed dial button, call the person!
- When the thing you are texting about will cause the person to give of their professional talent or personal expertise, spend money on you or yours, or allocate time in a car or plane for your benefit, call the person!
Lack of Social Skills
Why bother telling our children and grandchildren to accept as truth “that it’s not what you know, but whom you know and whom you know that likes you” when our behavior models that texting trumps knowing people, meeting face to face, or having a voice to ear genuine human interaction? How can we expect our children and grandchildren to accept as truth the importance of mastering social skills so that they might progress both personally and professionally when our human interactions often begin and end with the keyboard on our smartphone?
It’s not what you know, but whom you know and whom you know that likes you!
Moms and dads, especially grandmothers and grandfathers, you should know better than to dismiss the time-honored value of human interconnectedness. Parents and grandparents, your sons and daughters knew you to be zealous advocates for social skills, and we would be grateful if you could continue to do so for your grandchildren.
I’m not sure of the cause, but for some strange reason, it seems that the older we get – the more season added to our lives – the more likely we are to break away from the generational truth about the inherent value of personal interconnectedness that served us so well. Elders feel free to regress to your second childhood later, but for now, we need you to model excellent social skills for the next generation.
You Mad?
It’s entirely possible that you might not like what I had to say today, but it is what it is or as Lizzo’s song is titled – Truth Hurts. Somebody had to say, so I said it. Now it’s done, and perhaps we can return to old fashioned ways of positive human connectivity – face to face interaction. If we must use our smartphones, maybe we can exercise greater wisdom and connect via voice and video calls.
One last thing if there’s a place you want me to be, something you want me to do, or if you need anything from me (especially time, talent, or treasure), “Don’t text me, tell it straight to my face.”
Do you and your child text more than you communicate in person? Are you aware that the habit of texting hinders not only your child’s social skills but the well-being of the Nation? How many times have you nearly collided with someone while you or they were walking while texting? This week count the number of times you’ve texted someone without bothering to hear their voice or see their face.