Technology is freaking me out...

Does this worry anyone?

I was in the lobby of AAA the other day waiting to chat with someone to get me maps and a Trip Tix for my upcoming Napa trip and I noticed something that we’ve all seen a million times.  Every single person in the waiting area was looking at their phone or an iPad as in the case of a mom and son.  Some of the kids never even looked up from their phone when they got up, sat down, followed the parent to wherever.  How do they not fall down?  What is so engaging that you can’t look up?  Even once!

I can’t tell you how many people almost crash into me when I’m walking down the sidewalk because their nose is in their phone.  It stuns me when I go to restaurants and see every single person at the table in their phone and not talking to each other.  I mean there are memes like this:

Is it scary to anyone else?  

Now if your sharing pictures or something that's different.  I mean it just replaces the days we would arrive with a little photo album and flip through the pictures right?

Social interaction is becoming obsolete and it freaks me out.  I was starting to get really down on myself thinking something was wrong with me as I sit here 9 years after my divorce with only 1 relationship in the midst there to speak of and having HORRIBLE luck in the dating world and it hit me – I’m just horrible at technology.

I mean it’s the norm now.  People text they don’t call.  They email.  Online dating is normal now.  There are “apps” where people can just hook up with each other.  Hell there’s an “app” for every fucking thing.  I’m so bad at it!  I have barely any apps on my phone, and the ones I do have I forget I have and never use.  I’ve had multiple people tell me to ditch Facebook and start a Twitter account.  I’ve now had multiple people tell me to ditch blogspot and start a Tumblr.  WTF is a Tumblr?  I just recently realized a “Vine” is a thing.  I’m also positive there a 18 zillion other things the kids use now a days.  It’s overwhelming!  I can’t keep up at all!

Don’t get me wrong, there are rad things about technology and social media.  I’m so easily entertained.  I love funny lists and funny memes and silly gifs.  I do!  They make me laugh and brighten my day a bit.   I love that I can keep in touch with so many people via Facebook and see their families and their travel pictures and keep up with events.  But it’s not my whole life.

Kids now adays and adults seem so dependent on their contraptions.  What scares me is it’s going to completely replace social interaction soon.  I’m terrible at dating because I don’t text well and online dating freaks me out.  I also seem to have lost my own social skills because I seem to turn into a blubbering moron when I try to flirt.  Although – I’ve always had the problem of talking too much so this isn’t really news.

I don’t know.  Am I alone in this?  I’m just the old fuddy duddy who doesn’t understand what’s so great about never looking up from your phone?  I felt the need to get this out.  It just bums me out now how common it is to see no one look up from their phone.  I mean ever.  It’s weird.  And seriously – how do they not run into shit!