Most people would be surprised to see a modern kid try to make a phone call on a traditional landline. We, here in the office, see what was once a standard skill absolutely baffle these brilliant kids. Surely, on your smartphone they are creating Lucas film worthy videos, finding the best Boba tea within walking distance and definitely talking prize worthy selfies. Even a phone call can be readily mastered on the cell phone - it is afterall, just a matter of pushing the right contact photo or ordering Siri to do your bidding.
But a land line? With a phone number to input? You might be shocked. I’m not just talking about kindergarteners and first graders. We are constantly stunned at those already sporting facial hair who stare in wonder at the foreign device we hand them to call home.
Whether it is for missing homework, the forgotten lunch or, everyone’s favorite phone call about a questionable behavioral choice, it always starts with a tutorial. Someone in the office goes into instructional mode. Dial the number. Do you know the number? Almost always no. So, we pull out a number list. Our list includes area codes, of course. What is an area code? Don’t forget to dial one. It’s usually at this point that the child, brilliant in all other aspects, breathes the universal sigh of defeat. We jump in and end up dialing for them while interviewing them about their phone experience. Do you have a landline at home? Do you ever call long distance? Then why should you know how, kid? Chin up! Then, when a voice mail recording begins, they literally stare into space and report that they hear your voice, but it isn’t you.
It’s mind boggling! These are very smart kids. They can code entire animated story lines! They excel in accelerated math and Next Generation science! But the traditional land line is as foreign to them as a Relativistic Ion Collider would be to most mortals. I had to look up Relativistic Ion Collider. I still don’t understand what it is. I’ll bet some of these kids know more about RIC’s and polarized protons than they do about the humble landline.
Now, this is just a sign of the times. They are not to blame. The world has moved so quickly in their lifetimes that some of the smaller, more antiquated details get missed to make room for far more interesting and contemporary skills. But, may we suggest a dinner table conversation? Or, just hand them a land line and ask them to make a call. You may find they don’t quite know how to hold a phone. Often, they have no idea which end to talk to. It’s amusing, really...unless it’s the seventh time that day.