Device free Thanksgiving and "No phone zones" (1 Viewer)

[Da Guru]

I went to the Lion game yesterday with my family and then we were invited to a friends gathering for dinner.  A total of maybe 24 people were there of all ages from 10-70.  The host who is a good friend of my wife greeted us at the door and said "Please leave all your cell phones in the car. I have asked everybody to do the same and ours are turned off and in the bedroom drawers.  My daughters were a little put out at first but we complied to her request.  It was so refreshing to not see anyone staring at their phones and actually talking to new people and friends.

We stayed around 3 hours and I found myself enjoying not having my phone and checking my FF teams scores and texts from friends, weather.    My wife is having a Christmas party soon and she is thinking about trying to do the same thing. Wondering if it will fly as a couple of my friends are addicted to their phones.

What do you think?

 

[JoeSteeler]

I like it. Would be nice if the host made it known ahead of time.

 

[DallasDMac]

If people can't put away their phones for a few hours while at a party, then they probably would be better served to just stay home.

 

[McJose]

I went to the Lion game yesterday with my family and then we were invited to a friends gathering for dinner.  A total of maybe 24 people were there of all ages from 10-70.  The host who is a good friend of my wife greeted us at the door and said "Please leave all your cell phones in the car. I have asked everybody to do the same and ours are turned off and in the bedroom drawers.  My daughters were a little put out at first but we complied to her request.  It was so refreshing to not see anyone staring at their phones and actually talking to new people and friends.

We stayed around 3 hours and I found myself enjoying not having my phone and checking my FF teams scores and texts from friends, weather.    My wife is having a Christmas party soon and she is thinking about trying to do the same thing. Wondering if it will fly as a couple of my friends are addicted to their phones.

What do you think?

Meh. 

 

[Da Guru]

Meh. 

Jut asking.  Would you go to a party where you were not allowed your phone? 

Did not think I would like but actually enjoyed it.  When I got into my car I found out what I missed, my FF team was winning..a few of my friends sent selfies with turkey, my sisters said they were stuffed from too much food and that is was going to be a nice day today.

 

[popeye]

Good Lord no.  Avoiding contact with my in-laws who are busily focused on those devices IS EXACTLY how I make it through the Holidays.

 

[eoMMan]

I don't like it. I can definitely understand and agree with it at the dinner table but it's silly to ban phones for the entire time outside of dinner too. 

 

[-OZ-]

It's a fine concept that shouldn't be necessary. But it does seem to be more in Vogue lately. 

 

[McJose]

Jut asking.  Would you go to a party where you were not allowed your phone? 

Did not think I would like but actually enjoyed it.  When I got into my car I found out what I missed, my FF team was winning..a few of my friends sent selfies with turkey, my sisters said they were stuffed from too much food and that is was going to be a nice day today.

I’d go but I’d also think it was a little insulting to assume that I’m not a grown-up who knows when it is appropriate to use his phone.  

 

[dickey moe]

I’d go but I’d also think it was a little insulting to assume that I’m not a grown-up who knows when it is appropriate to use his phone.  

Based on representative daily observations, there are boatloads of grown-ups who don't know when it is appropriate to use their phone.

 

[McJose]

This is the only rule we have at family gatherings.

 

[DallasDMac]

I’d go but I’d also think it was a little insulting to assume that I’m not a grown-up who knows when it is appropriate to use his phone. 

Short of a 9-1-1 situation, it's never appropriate at a social gathering.

 

[McJose]

Short of a 9-1-1 situation, it's never appropriate at a social gathering.

Oh ok

 

[ProstheticRGK]

This is the only rule we have at family gatherings.

Admit it, that sign was put up for you, wasn’t it?

 

[eoMMan]

Short of a 9-1-1 situation, it's never appropriate at a social gathering.

Work issues, health issues with a close friend, late night booty call, etc....never appropriate?!?!?

 

[Hawkeye21]

Electronics are really not an issue when my friends and I get together.  Always busy drinking and telling stories.  It's nice to have a smart phone to look up something we're talking about that we can't remember a specific detail.

 

[wikkidpissah]

It's past "get off my lawn" anymore. I no longer want to be on any y'all's

 

[Brony]

It would be more impressive statement if they threw all the cell phones into a bonfire 

 

[Franknbeans]

sounds horrible

what is this, the 90's?

 

[Cjw_55106]

Short of a 9-1-1 situation, it's never appropriate at a social gathering.

I don't even have a smartphone and I think this is nonsense. 

 

[Koya]

If people can't put away their phones for a few hours while at a party, then they probably would be better served to just stay home.

A lot of us would be better served by staying home... but that's not always an option. 

So bring our phones we do. 

 

[need2know]

Hate it.

I don't need someone to set rules for me.  I can definitely put my phone away for awhile during the party but if I want to look at it for any reason, I will.

  We live in America pal

 

[DallasDMac]

I didn't realize two thirds of the FFA was teenage girls. Learn something new every day. Actually, now that I think about it, it explains quite a bit.

 

[Binky The Doormat]

This is the only rule we have at family gatherings.

Seems reasonable.  

The problem arises when someone eventually is just asking for it.  

 

[McJose]

It would be more impressive statement if they threw all the cell phones into a bonfire  keys into a fishbowl.

 

[ChiefD]

Had 12 people at my house for Thanksgiving. Nobody looked at their phone the whole night. Did not have to make an announcement.

 

[Shutout]

This should have more likes.  People are probably not picking up what you are throwing down. 

 

[Psychopav]

Had 12 people at my house for Thanksgiving. Nobody looked at their phone the whole night. Did not have to make an announcement.

LOOK AT ME, MY FAMILY IS CIVILIZED!!

 

[KarmaPolice]

It's a fine concept that shouldn't be necessary. But it does seem to be more in Vogue lately. 

This was my thought too.  I love the idea, but I think it's kinda sad that it has to be a rule that has to be enforced like that.  

 

[Josie Maran]

Then I'd need to find another acceptable way to avoid social interactions. Do not like.

 

[DallasDMac]

Then I'd need to find another acceptable way to avoid social interactions. Do not like.

Declining the invite down?

 

[Brony]

This should have more likes.  People are probably not picking up what you are throwing down. 

If he's throwing down dill does, I'm not picking it up. 

 

[Josie Maran]

Declining the invite down?

Then I'll seem anti-social.

 

[DallasDMac]

Then I'll seem anti-social.

Being buried in your phone at a party makes you look anti-social AND dooshy. So you still come out ahead with a decline.

 

[Josie Maran]

Being buried in your phone at a party makes you look anti-social AND dooshy. So you still come out ahead with a decline.

Thanks for educating me, chief. 

 

[Ned]

Should’ve ran them over with your lawn mower. 

 

[McJose]

Being buried in your phone at a party makes you look anti-social AND dooshy. So you still come out ahead with a decline.

“You should put your phone away”

”You should be more interesting”

 

[msudaisy26]

I don' like it, hey come to my Thanksgiving but don't feel free to have a good time and enjoy yourself unless you do it the way I want you too. 

 

[mquinnjr]

I went to the Lion game yesterday with my family and then we were invited to a friends gathering for dinner.  A total of maybe 24 people were there of all ages from 10-70.  The host who is a good friend of my wife greeted us at the door and said "Please leave all your cell phones in the car. I have asked everybody to do the same and ours are turned off and in the bedroom drawers.  My daughters were a little put out at first but we complied to her request.  It was so refreshing to not see anyone staring at their phones and actually talking to new people and friends.

We stayed around 3 hours and I found myself enjoying not having my phone and checking my FF teams scores and texts from friends, weather.    My wife is having a Christmas party soon and she is thinking about trying to do the same thing. Wondering if it will fly as a couple of my friends are addicted to their phones.

What do you think?

 

[Da Guru]

I don' like it, hey come to my Thanksgiving but don't feel free to have a good time and enjoy yourself unless you do it the way I want you too. 

People can have a good time without a phone...and the thing is..everybody seemed to like it. Two other couples who I saw today said they loved it. Said their kids were forced to talk to people instead of texting and faces buried into their phone.

Even my daughters said it was nice not to be checking Instagram, facebook and a bunch of nonsense...but they are motor mouths anyway so they don`t really need it.

And it was only a few hours. Hell..you don`t check your phone while sleeping for 7-8 hours.

 

[comfortably numb]

The thing is..everybody seemed to like it. 

Even my daughters said it was nice not to be checking Instagram, facebook and a bunch of nonsense. And it was only a few hours. Hell..you don`t check your phone while sleeping for 7-8 hours.

You mean no one else has their alarm to go off at 3am to check their phone?

 

[msudaisy26]

People can have a good time without a phone...and the thing is..everybody seemed to like it. Two other couples who I saw today said they loved it. Said their kids were forced to talk to people instead of texting and faces buried into their phone.

Even my daughters said it was nice not to be checking Instagram, facebook and a bunch of nonsense...but they are motor mouths anyway so they don`t really need it.

And it was only a few hours. Hell..you don`t check your phone while sleeping for 7-8 hours.

They can, but forcing people to have a good time your way isn't the way to go.

As for the bolded, So these people claimed to have a good time because they forced their kids into doing something they didn't want to do. They are extremely miserable people or lying.

 

[Da Guru]

They can, but forcing people to have a good time your way isn't the way to go.

As for the bolded, So these people claimed to have a good time because they forced their kids into doing something they didn't want to do. They are extremely miserable people or lying.

Well..nobody was forced to talk or do anything. They could watch TV. Nothing about the day was forced..it just flowed naturally as any event  would but without phones.

 

[eoMMan]

Being buried in your phone at a party makes you look anti-social AND dooshy. So you still come out ahead with a decline.

Making people lock up their phones makes you look the worst. 

If someone is being rude and antisocial, talk to them. Bust their chops. Ask them to help peel potatoes. There's much better ways to go about this situation than banning their phones.

 

[McJose]

People can have a good time without a phone...and the thing is..everybody seemed to like it. Two other couples who I saw today said they loved it. Said their kids were forced to talk to people instead of texting and faces buried into their phone.

Even my daughters said it was nice not to be checking Instagram, facebook and a bunch of nonsense...but they are motor mouths anyway so they don`t really need it.

And it was only a few hours. Hell..you don`t check your phone while sleeping for 7-8 hours.

So it was more about the kids?

 

[Da Guru]

So it was more about the kids?

?? Who knows..was not my idea or my dinner. Just talking about a different type of party that I attended.

Our girls are older and like to socialize. The couple that said they like have boys that are young teens.  Said that is the first time they ever saw them actually engage in conversation instead of playing Angry Birds or Candy Crush all day.  And it was only for a few hours.

 

[NutterButter]

My opinion of this really depends on the dynamics of the group.  My family in general is not a very exciting group to interact with.   I go to all the parties b/c they're still my family, but 5 hours with them can be rough.   

 

[Da Guru]

My opinion of this really depends on the dynamics of the group.  My family in general is not a very exciting group to interact with.   I go to all the parties b/c they're still my family, but 5 hours with them can be rough.   

In that case Jack Daniels is much better than a phone.

 

[NutterButter]

In that case Jack Daniels is much better than a phone.

I'm not much of a drinker, but I'm I'd love to smoke some herb at these events.  Of course then I'd probably just eat myself into a food como so I'm not sure that's a better option then the phone.   Speaking of drinking, I couldn't imagine the fireworks if I was drunk on Thursday while most of the room was whining for an hour about how the new democratic governor is going to raise taxes and create a sanctuary state.

 

[[icon]]

I didn't realize two thirds of the FFA was teenage girls. Learn something new every day. Actually, now that I think about it, it explains quite a bit.

U SO EDGY BRO!