A new generation of neglect?

This thread is not about Pokemon Go, but recently they made a monument in the park I like to go to, into an important Pokestop and I saw some alarming things.

This one guy circled an area of the park about 3 or 4 times, a pretty sizable area, while pushing a baby carriage with a cute baby in it. He looked about late 20's to early early/mid 30's. He literally circled all 4 times, the entire time looking at his phone. I don't think he lifted his head up even once. The kid was often flailing his arms and looking for attention, but I don't think he even looked at his child once.

Then I observed another couple with a toddler. The parents, also about the same age were both looking at their phones. They did not raise their heads once for what seemed to be an hour. Again, the baby was looking for some amusement or attention but her parents didn't even look her way or talk to her.

Another pair, this time mother and son, but son was not the one playing the game. It was the mother. She looked well into her 30's, maybe even 40's and the son was about 15 - 16 yo. The son did not even have a phone. He was holding a ball. She was also circling the park. At one point, she stopped in front of me and told her son that she got one. And continued to circle the park several times. He was looking awkward like, I can't believe my mom is playing this game. Anyway she was staring intently into the phone the entire time, not giving any attention or conversation to her son, while he walked around with her.

I observed a few other people - adult kids - late 20's, early 30's walking around looking into their phones and not talking for most of the time.

I thought it was sort of weird, but the parents with the toddlers really disturbed me.

Its not so much about this game but this new generation of phone/internet engulfed people staring at their phones all the time that bothers me. And now they are parents!

Any thoughts?

I can imagine the future of this once we go to virtual heads up display glasses..

a reply to: nOraKat

lol...

Damn game infected the world...

But at least people are getting out because of it...

I have 28 now...

originally posted by: Akragon
a reply to: nOraKat

lol...

Damn game infected the world...

But at least people are getting out because of it...

I have 28 now...

For god's sake man, let those people go!

They are not yours, you will get arrested!

P

originally posted by: pheonix358

originally posted by: Akragon
a reply to: nOraKat

lol...

Damn game infected the world...

But at least people are getting out because of it...

I have 28 now...

For god's sake man, let those people go!

They are not yours, you will get arrested!

P

Shhh....

I must collect them all

a reply to: nOraKat

Another shining example of how far we've fallen as a species and why I despise most of the Human race.

This place needs an Extinction Level Event to wake us the f#k up from whatever devolved state we've fallen into and provide us with a badly needed reset.

This thread is not about Pokemon Go

I'm afraid that this thread will turn into yet another Pokemon Go thread, regardless of your opening line.

But I see what you're getting at and understand completely. People really need to take a step back and look at the world around them, see their own children standing before them, and stop with the screen-time.

I'm part of that "Late 20 / Early 30" brigade, and I have a toddler, but I don't understand how people can act like that, completely ignoring their child... I fret for the generation my own son will be a part of.

(I suppose every generation has said that about the upcoming one... but honestly, constant neglect? constant screen-time? no human interaction? It's not going to be pretty.)

It's almost like some kind of mass hypnosis. Maybe not really, but maybe.

Just watching Bill Maher and his joke is he finds it really weird that people would rather go out and do that then stay at home and have sex. Me too.

originally posted by: ShadowLink
a reply to: nOraKat

Another shining example of how far we've fallen as a species and why I despise most of the Human race.

This place needs an Extinction Level Event to wake us the f#k up from whatever devolved state we've fallen into and provide us with a badly needed reset.

If distracted parents are reason enough for the extinction of a species, what do you do when the neighbour's dog sh**s on your lawn? Vaporise them??!

a reply to: Kandinsky

Vaporise them?
No, but now that you mention it, I'll have to look into that.
There would be a lot less holes to dig and a lot less explaining to do, it's getting hard to keep a straight face sometimes.

And I didn't mean a complete extinction, I was thinking around 60-70% or so.
Also, you shouldn't take everything I say so literally, it's often not meant to be taken too seriously.

Really though,
The human race needs a reset, to me there is no debate.
How that should be brought about I don't really know. I just know I'm not the guy that should come up with that answer, cause... Vaporise them!

A war, civil war, government coup, tsunami, mass murder, or earthquake isn't going to do it. Sadly it needs to be something that affects us globally, as a species not a nation.
It needs to be something that takes us down a peg or two and forces us to set aside our differences and come together to rebuild and restructure things in a better way.
But that's a whole other discussion.

a reply to: ShadowLink

Hey I was tongue-in-cheek and smiling

We're going through a period of extremism and who knows how long it'll last...or if it'll get worse? Jeez, I hope not.

Hopefully, the bounce-back from all this popular hatred and distrust will lead to a positive era. Maybe there'll be some social changes we can all support instead of divide and conquer being the order of the day.

If not, my next vote will be for a benign/benevolent dictator

a reply to: nOraKat


My son is young and has recently started sports. The neglectful parental behavior can be seen at his games and practices. It looks bizarre! Couples sitting side by side, looking down at their phones while their children are creating memories. My husband and I arrive separately, still in our work clothes and we put away the phones. We talk about our day as we cheer for our son and his team. I wonder about some of those other families...will they still be a family years from now? My husband and I have been together 17 yrs. It's simple really, we look at each other and talk.

Completely agree and some interesting points raised.

I was out for lunch a few weeks ago with some friends and there was a dad out with his two kids probably between the ages of 7 and 10. The dad was on his phone and both kids playing on their DS. It struck me at the time that they should have been chatting about their day or whatever but no they were all engrossed.

I would hate to think that maybe that was his day to have them and that's what they were spending their time doing.

Having said that as I looked around many people of different ages were sat tapping away on their phones in silence. If I am making the effort to go out with my friends then the last thing I want to do is sit on my phone.

I think it's indicative of what society is becoming and can only be detrimental for the development of our children.