Another Reason To Hate New Technology

[disney junky]

My MIL works in an office where her granddaughter (my wife's niece) used to work. So my niece discovers she's pregnant and texts all her friends, some of whom are still in the office with my MIL. One comes over and says, Oh, you must be thrilled, blah, blah, blah. MIL feels hurt. One, she finds out about a great grandchild from a co-worker, and two, because the co-worker assumed she knew.

It seems that much of this technology has created a lack of sensitivity to what would seem to be appropriate dissemination of information.

Or maybe I'm just old fashioned....

 

[Jennasis]

Yes you are oldfashioned. BUt that's ok! I think the mom-to-be was just excited and started texting her friends (the way those young whipper-snappers do these days) and just hadn't gotten a chance to let grandma in on it. The coworked probably should've kept quiet until she knew if granny knew.

But hey...this is SO not even a blip on the radar of concern.

 

[NHdisneylover]

My MIL works in an office where her granddaughter (my wife's niece) used to work. So my niece discovers she's pregnant and texts all her friends, some of whom are still in the office with my MIL. One comes over and says, Oh, you must be thrilled, blah, blah, blah. MIL feels hurt. One, she finds out about a great grandchild from a co-worker, and two, because the co-worker assumed she knew.

It seems that much of this technology has created a lack of sensitivity to what would seem to be appropriate dissemination of information.

Or maybe I'm just old fashioned....

I don't think technology is to blame here. It could have happened the same way had your niece called her friends with the news, sent them a letter, or even told them in person. The issue is the niece told people she knows work with her grandmother this news before telling the grandmother. It is natural for people to assume family has been told unless they are told otherwise.
I can see why your MiL has her feelings hurt (though why she would be upset with the coworker for assuming she knew is a mystery to me), but I am guessing the niece is just not thinking all that clearly (early pregnancy hormones and exhaustion, plus excitment can do that to you).
I hope everyone talks it out and ends up feeling good and happy about the new baby comming instead of nursing resentment and hurt feelingsAnd I really hope no one tries to put you in the middle of anything

 

[Disney Ella]

I don't think it would be unusual to tell your friends that you were pregnant before you told your grandmother, but in this case, since the granddaughter knows her friends work with the grandmother, it would have been smart to tell the grandmother first. It doesn't sound like it's something to waste a lot of time getting upset about though. The important thing is that there is going to be a great grandchild, not who told who when.

 

[Mickeyistheman]

I have to agree with the OP on this one. She may have called her best friend and then her family, whom IMO should be the first ones told or called.

BUT now in less than a few seconds you can tell everyone and I don't think its right. You are losing that human contact. I am sick of all this new technology and these new phones aren't cheap either. I don't get the big deal and I am only 31. I don't need the internet 24/7 and all the extra stuff.

If the weren't really close or speaking to each other then that is a little different but I don't get that feeling from the OP. She should have been told face to face or at least gotten one of the first phone calls AND NOT a text.

 

[MichelleVW]

Maybe Grandma needs to figure out how to text!

 

[luvmy3]

Maybe the DIL is closer to her frineds and wanted to share the good news with them. Finding out that way doesn't change the fact that MIL is going to have a great grandchild, she should be estatic, not hurt. Some people are way too sensitive, its not about her anyway its about the good news of an expected baby, who cares who finds out first or from who

 

[sbell111]

MIL needs a waaambulance. Stat!

._______@@_
|-------------\__
| WAAMBULANCE |
|__ _______ ___/
'''"''O'""""'''''''''''O'"'''

 

[Tikitoi]

I agree, this isn't technology's fault. The mom-to-be told who she wanted to first.

 

[FireDancer]

I wouldn't blame technology, it is only the medium. A user has to chose to use it or not.

 

[Mickeyistheman]

This is the GRANDMOTHER as the OP stated. If I had found out that I was pregnant...the first people I would tell...after hubby of course

Would be my mother, father, brother, sister and grandmother...I would not call ALL of my friends and tell them before my family.

I think what the OP is saying and OP correct me if I am wrong, IF the texting wasn't around would she have felt the need to text 50 people (lets just say) BEFORE telling her own grandmother? I don't think so. I would not be on the phone telling friends before family. My best friend yes BUT after I told my immediate family and my grandmother is part of my immediate family.

 

[ndelaware]

Technology is not to blame here.

An insensitive granddaughter is.

 

[qtwns]

MIL needs a waaambulance. Stat!

._______@@_
|-------------\__
| WAAMBULANCE |
|__ _______ ___/
'''"''O'""""'''''''''''O'"'''

 

[sbell111]

This is the GRANDMOTHER as the OP stated. If I had found out that I was pregnant...the first people I would tell...after hubby of course

Would be my mother, father, brother, sister and grandmother...I would not call ALL of my friends and tell them before my family.

I think what the OP is saying and OP correct me if I am wrong, IF the texting wasn't around would she have felt the need to text 50 people (lets just say) BEFORE telling her own grandmother? I don't think so. I would not be on the phone telling friends before family. My best friend yes BUT after I told my immediate family and my grandmother is part of my immediate family.

Others disagree.

I know that we told a whole bunch of friends before we told my parents. In fact, my brother knew before my dad and accidently blabbed before I got around to telling him. Oh well.

As it turns out, it's the expecting couple who get to decide who to tell and when. Lots of things go into this decision. I choose not to second guess this very personal decision.

 

[Kit'smommy]

I have to agree with the OP on this one. She may have called her best friend and then her family, whom IMO should be the first ones told or called.

Everyone has different relationships with their friends and family. I told DH, BFF, another close friend, Mom and Dad and inlaws in that order. I would have told BFF first if DH hadn't been home when I tested. Honestly, she was my strongest supporter through our battle with infertility.

BFF friend actually called and told me there were two lines before she told her DH. (Baby was a bit of a surprise even thought it was much wanted).

This isn't a technology issue.

 

[luvsJack]

The granddaughter was very insensitve this is true; but technology is to blame. Communicating through text is one of the causes of this kind of insensitivity.

 

[MushyMushy]

I don't think technology is to blame. News can travel fast whether it's by phone, text, email, snail mail or whatever.

Maybe she was more excited to tell her friends first. So what? If I recall correctly, my friends were the first to know of my pregnancies. But then they wouldn't have blabbed to my parents or grandparents until they were sure they knew. So maybe it was the friend's fault. But to blame a communication medium? Silly, IMO.

 

[Jennasis]

Insensitive granddaughter my tukus...I wonder if people complained about that new fangled device called a telephone in the same way...really ruins the whole intimacy of a face-to-face conversation.

Really.

 

[FireDancer]

Maybe the issues is with people thinking they are so important that they should be the first to know. If a person chooses to tell their friends first who cares.

 

[Skywalker]

The grand daughter sounds like an insensitive clod to me.

It is fine to tell your friends first, but in this situation the grandma was not off rocking in a nursing home somewhere until you come and tell her the news, she was right there, in the room with the friends. To me, that sets Grandma up to look like a fool.