Put Down Your Phones!

[tjmj9801]

Doesnt matter what they were doing, I still find it sad. As far as why I noticed, I was in a crowded restaurant, hard not to notice, and we as a family noticed together, and even joked about how we were the odd ones. I dont recall saying that I was only paying attention to others

Ok so when did become ok to judge ANYthing others were doing when it doesn't impact you at all? If my DH wasn't able to talk to his customers and handle things for them quickly while we're on vacation, there would be no vacation because the customers would spend their money elsewhere. I can understand opinions but judgement is a whole other thing. You simply don't know so don't judge.

 

[palmtreegirl]

Who said anything about being upset? You do understand people can make observations, have opinions on them without really caring too much. Why would I be upset over some other family using their phones. I care that my family doesnt use them, and yes I think that makes a much better vacation for us. I also think it teaches my kids that you dont need to rely on your phone for entertainment.

You care enough to post about it on here saying it's sad. I'll replace upset with bother, cause it doesn't even bother/phase me at all. Like I said in my other posts not everyone is on vacation at Disney, lots of people are just there for the afternoon etc...

 

[palmtreegirl]

Did you seriously watch people for their entire dinner and you KNOW that they didn't interact the WHOLE time? They were probably posting on Facebook about some nut that has stared at them for their entire dinner and how sad that it is that she isn't interested in her daughter enough just to focus on her.

Maybe they tour like us? We take lots of pic with the phones during attractions. We send pictures to grandmas during lunch/dinner breaks and respond to work emails and personal texts that we may have missed while having fun. My dh is often on the phone, instead of being irritated with him, I count my many blessings and thank God he has a good job.

We definitely are "in the moment" for our vacay. We are a very chatty family and affectionate as well. But you could witness us using technology if you were overly concerned with people around you and looking for it. Don't waste time feeling sorry for us, we are happy and the kids are happy too!

 

[maxiesmom]

Ah yes, the latest conduit to the mommy wars where people judge people they don't know because the other family isn't doing things the way they think it should be done.

Just add cell phone use to the list that already includes breast feeding, stroller or wrap usage, taking nap breaks or not, following a set schedule while you are in the parks or not, using the buses (no child seats allowed) cloth vs disposables, changing babies diapers in public...what have I missed?

 

[LSUfan4444]

!

One of my best friends is taking her family to WDW in a couple of weeks. In order to go her husband's work has to be able to contact him while he is away. So he will be one of those people looking at his I-Phone, doing business while he is in the parks. To me that is a much better option than him sitting behind in the room, or not going with his family on vacation.

As long as the kids are not watching some obnoxious show at full volume, they are not doing anything to bother you. Enjoy your own vacation and stop worrying about how others enjoy theirs.

Exactly...the problem is, there are narrow minded people. People who (whether culturally or socially) live in a small small world. They may not understand that in 2013, some peoples career, livelihood and the very things that gives them the ability and freedom to go to WDW some of the time revolves around that little handheld device.

Like I said, there are COUNTLESS reasons where one person, or an entire family can be on their devices, but as previously mentioned....those reasons just don't matter to some.

 

[luvmy3]

The point is you don't know who they are, what they do or what the are doing with their devices and it shouldn't concern you.

You categorize people justifying actions from one group to another, but have no idea who they are?

What if that family doesn't pull our their phones except when they can sit down, so they don't bump into others. What if dinner time is homework time for Molly, picture upload time for mommy and email reply time for daddy?

You can choose to not use those devices, but to judge ANYONE who else who does is no better than any criticism you throw out there to those that do.

Electronic devices are shrinking our world, and our world is becoming more dependent on them. Even the magical world that is Disney. The ability to check wait times, create ot change reservations, reserve fastpasses, buy tickets, book transportation, check into airline flights etc. can all be done while sitting at dinner and NOT standing in a line. That can create more family time together at another time.

There are countless examples of how those devices you assume are pulling apart the Smith family is actually allowing for other opportunities down the road.

Who is doing the assuming and placing judgement here? Oh how I love the DIS irony.

 

[luvmy3]

What else needs to be said?

Yes, I find it sad, but dont worry if I see you and your family out my family and I will just leer at you in disgust and then talk with ourselves about how much better we are than you.
Or most likely, we'll just say something to eachother like "maybe we should pull out our phones to fit it" and go about eating our dinner


That was sarcasm

 

[lhermiston]

Sure, it's annoying, but some of them probably had perfectly good reasons for being on their devices.

It's also really none of your business.

 

[GeneralTso]

Everywhere you go, people are on their phones.

Culture has changed. You don't have to like it, but it has changed.
Sure, it's rude in certain places but it's still going to happen. Just like people taking flash pictures on rides. It's not right or polite, but it happens. You need to go about your business and not let others affect your happiness.

 

[LSUfan4444]

Who is doing the assuming and placing judgement here?

Doesnt matter what they were doing, I still find it sad.
Today, 09:56 AM
luvmy3

 

[LSUfan4444]

Yes, I find it sad, but dont worry if I see you and your family out my family and I will just leer at you in disgust and then talk with ourselves about how much better we are than you.
Or most likely, we'll just say something to eachother like "maybe we should pull out our phones to fit it" and go about eating our dinner

No, more likely you'll just quietly judge me, then talk about me and my family to others at another time and how "sad" we are.

 

[maxiesmom]

Who is doing the assuming and placing judgement here? Oh how I love the DIS irony.

Isn't that why this whole thread was started? So the OP could judge other people they saw on vacation?

 

[tjmj9801]

Yes, I find it sad, but dont worry if I see you and your family out my family and I will just leer at you in disgust and then talk with ourselves about how much better we are than you.
Or most likely, we'll just say something to eachother like "maybe we should pull out our phones to fit it" and go about eating our dinner

That was sarcasm

#4 on the DIS guidelines, if you'd please.

 

[Luvchefmic]

I love to share this blog post whenever I see others complaining about iPhone use. Seems this is turning into another "mommy wars" subject and I wish people would just stop judging. If you had time to people observe that much, you weren't spending too much time with your own family.

http://www.scarymommy.com/dear-mom-judging-me/

Edit to add: my husband is very involved in his job and must stay connected with his customers or we won't HAVE the money for Disney.

I have to admit I have been judgmental in the past, never voiced it, but thought it After reading this I have to admit if I HAD a cellphone when my kids were little (they are both pushing 40 y/o now) I probably would have had more patience and more sanity moments So thanks for the link

 

[WaltD4Me]

For me, I just don't understand why people WANT to be on their phones. I am thrilled to get to Disney and shut out the outside world. I am a bit of a news junkie at home, but I don't even turn it on when on vacation. My brother is a phone junkie, I mean really obsessed, so when we went on a Disney cruise he was really worried about not having access to it, but turns out he loved it. Even when we stopped in Nassau where they had wifi spots, he didn't bring it. I think sometimes people don't realize how much they are on their phones until they are forced to be without them. I realize there are situations when people have to use their phones/devices, I'm not judging anyone, but I do think there are some like my brother who would be surprised to find out how nice it is not to be constantly connected for a little while.

 

[luvmy3]

No, more likely you'll just quietly judge me, then talk about me and my family to others at another time and how "sad" we are.

Your problem is that you are taking what I said personally. I never said they were sad individuals, I said IT was sad. The IT being the electronic devices. That IT could be any number of things, in this case its phones. So, since you didnt bother to quote where I said I dont care what other families do, I'll say it again. I dont care what you do, it has absolutely no effect on me. As far as judging you, dont flatter yourself, your family isnt important enough to me to judge what you do on your vacation. However if you are sitting next to me in a restaurant I will notice that you are all on your phones, its just as simple as that.

Isn't that why this whole thread was started? So the OP could judge other people they saw on vacation?

I'm not the OP. I'm discussing something I observe when going out to eat. I think its sad that nowadays more people choose to sit there on their device (for whatever reason) than to not do that. YMMV, and like I said before that is okay.

ETA I am in no way claiming that our family doesn't love our tech, we do. We certainly use our fair share of, and there are times where we ignore eachother. And yes, to me that is equally as sad that we do it too. Its the big picture (those devices we cant be without) that is sad, not the people.

 

[ttintagel]

What happened to when kids colored at dinner? I'm not exactly a kid anymore, but I usually ask for kids menus to color when out at a restaurant. Nowadays, most kids are found playing games on the ipad/iphone at dinner. That's unacceptable to me, and I think to have a true vacation get away, all internet and communication should be very limited/rarely used.

I'm such a fossil that we actually sat and talked with our parents at dinner instead of having ANYTHING to play with.

 

[BRG226]

I agree with you completely but I know I am one of the folks the OP was talking about. For me, I use the phone to see shortest waits, FP times, etc. Also my job expects me to check email/voicemail regularly so I try to do that in line/at dinner so I don't miss the attractions!

Brendan

 

[HippieChickadee]

I'm not talking about the one toddler with an iphone, or the surgeon/CEO parent answering a couple texts, or checking the wait lines at Peter Pan, or trying to convert currency, or find directions. I'm talking about an entire family not even looking up from their devices while sitting together at the dinner table, even after their food comes. I find that sad, and to me it is a symptom of something much bigger. We have become a society so connected to those little devices that now we cant survive an hour without them. I see how that effects my own kids and their generation. You dont have to find it sad, you can think its great, that's okay too.

Yes. This. Thank you.

 

[DisGirl819]

What happened to when kids colored at dinner? I'm not exactly a kid anymore, but I usually ask for kids menus to color when out at a restaurant. Nowadays, most kids are found playing games on the ipad/iphone at dinner. That's unacceptable to me, and I think to have a true vacation get away, all internet and communication should be very limited/rarely used.

Honestly, it depends on the day and the wait for food. My kids always color at restaurants (they're 3 and 5) and they entertain themselves pretty well, we also talk a lot. If the wait gets excessive for food, like the other night at a local restaurant, I will hand over my phone for a few minutes of peace for me, DH and the other restaurant patrons. We limit our kid's electronic screen time to no more than an hour a day (including tv shows/movies) but you never know if that one time in a restaurant is a special thing for a kid or something they do every day all day. I try not to judge other parents because I have no idea who they are, how their day has been going, etc. Everyone vacations differently, maybe some families don't allow electronics at home but do on vacation. Who knows?