Has the art of conversation gone??

Loopy

Years ago my Dad says, they sat around and listened to a play on the 'wireless' in the evenings and afterwards talked for ages about it.. Ok I know they didn't have TV/Computers/Stereos.. but it seems that communication was a huge thing, probably nothing else to do! They talked for hours..

Observing my own family I realise we don't really talk that much.. Maybe its just phase.. I enjoy conversation and having a good row/debate. Lately, though my daughters playing with her nintendo, himself is 'surfing' and toddler is watching a DVD..

Whats happening? Ok turn all appliances off and demand communication? I do that and ask 6 yr old how was school love- 'FINE' is the response... Himself: how was work today? 'Good' ..

Jesus, will someone talk to me.... (Says me on my laptop:rolleyes:).. I love my own company and enjoy having a bit of peace but tonight I feel lonely in a house full of people...

My point is, in this crazy modern world we live in do I now have to email or text my family for some goddamn communication??

Am I on my own here or does anyone else have this problem??

Gordon

No

Phantasm

I talk alot with everyone, really. My friends and my family.

If you go to the cinema, do you not discuss the movie afterwards?
Same goes for anything on the TV or radio or whatever.

Maybe it's just your household :P

I think you need to give himself a right root up the behind and make him talk to you!

JC 2K3

Depends on the household, tbh.

Since I got a laptop I've spent much more time with my family. Being a bit of an internet addict, I used to spend a lot of time alone in my room on my PC, however, now I can browse the net while sitting in the same room as and talking with the rest of my family.

But yeah, I think, on average, there is much less face to face communication these days than there seems to have been in the past, and it's not really a good thing.

Loopy

Phantasm wrote: »

I talk alot with everyone, really. My friends and my family.

If you go to the cinema, do you not discuss the movie afterwards?
Same goes for anything on the TV or radio or whatever.

Maybe it's just your household :P

I think you need to give himself a right root up the behind and make him talk to you!

Yes we go to the cinema quite a bit and disect the movie afterwards, Its actually just lately Im feeling this, like no-one is really arsed.. Its like we are a tad bored with each other. Maybe time to take up a hobby..

Gordon, thanks so much for that - took me a while to read through your post, but was so worth it...

Maybe you should look into family activies....its up to you to instill that particular family value.

My family talk non-stop.....my parents still talk into the small hours of the night at least once a week,their Ruby wedding anniversary isn't far off.

Sherifu

You could always start talking to your family.

disco--dave

No, you're not alone there. It's the same with my family, they all just plonk themselves down infront of the tv. Every so often I just take the initiative and turn it off, then the conversation usually follows.
But yeah it's gonna be quite difficult to encourage a 6 year old to drop the nintendo and join in conversation with her family... all I could seggest is that you could start by setting some time aside each week specifically for the family to converse, but that may seem like too much. I suppose you could also just kinda 'spontaneously' decide for the family to talk some evening, just see what happens. It's gonna start off being difficult, but it should get easier with time.

Loopy

Sherifu wrote: »

You could always start talking to your family.

Tonight I tried believe me but gave up after I got the grunt responses. Think its just me and how I am feeling tonight, but in general feel that society has changed in that respect and was really just wondering if anyone else was experiencing it..

Moonbaby, thats great about your folks, my grandparents were the same, talked non-stop and sat holding hands well into their 80's..True love.

Tommorow Im just going to insist on a family day and do something that dosen't involve an appliance..

Loopy

disco--dave wrote: »

No, you're not alone there. It's the same with my family, they all just plonk themselves down infront of the tv. Every so often I just take the initiative and turn it off, then the conversation usually follows.
But yeah it's gonna be quite difficult to encourage a 6 year old to drop the nintendo and join in conversation with her family... all I could seggest is that you could start by setting some time aside each week specifically for the family to converse, but that may seem like too much. I suppose you could also just kinda 'spontaneously' decide for the family to talk some evening, just see what happens. It's gonna start off being difficult, but it should get easier with time.

Thanks Disco Dave (cool name) - yeh its a question of me being the instigator and seeing what happens, defo be more pro-active rather than just accepting it..

Riddle101

It's just young people wanting to be young people and feel they don't have time to talk to parents or family members cause they're busy on the phone or doing something with their friends, as a young person myself i find that the only one in our family who tries to talk is my mother and we usually turn a blind ear to things because we're so focused on something else, that's not to say that i have converations with my mam because i would sit down with her and discuss what's going on(although i usually argue with my mother more then i talk) but usally people just want to be on their own and do their own thing

Tommorow Im just going to insist on a family day and do something that dosen't involve an appliance..

Word of advice be sure to bring lots and lots of duck tape and rope, because you're going to have to drag your kids with you to do a family outting. Do you have a tranquliser gun by any chance? it's ok if you don't but it would be good to bring that as well:D

Phantasm

Just make sure the lack of communication in your family doesn't continue, because it can only get worse.
My Dad never really had any conversations with me, and now when I go to see him I talk to his girlfriend all the time, not him.
Yet at the same time, I can talk for hours to my mum.

Don't let that happen!

Gordon

looptheloop wrote: »

Gordon, thanks so much for that - took me a while to read through your post, but was so worth it...

Davidius

Sure for every person who gives you a one word response there's another who simply won't STFU about their day and themselves. My sister would be a prime example, she has to tell you about her day because you must know about how some guy she works with disrespected her by the way he didn't say something. :pac:

I only converse with people to humour them myself. Most of the conversations I engage in are absolute crap and sometimes I feel like I'm the only party who realises how stupid they are.

Conversation is for losers, pre-set button commands are the future!

Loopy

Davidius wrote: »

Sure for every person who gives you a one word response there's another who simply won't STFU about their day and themselves. My sister would be a prime example, she has to tell you about her day because you must know about how some guy she works with disrespected her by the way he didn't say something. :pac:

I only converse with people to humour them myself. Most of the conversations I engage in are absolute crap and sometimes I feel like I'm the only party who realises how stupid they are.

Conversation is for losers, pre-set button commands are the future!

Jesus. Do you want to meet for a chat???

hupyago

i find you can almost get along with anyone if you have a common interest to talk about, It can include and be enhanced by the other activities
you just have to take the first step and find something interesting to talk about

Sherifu

looptheloop wrote: »

Tonight I tried believe me but gave up after I got the grunt responses. Think its just me and how I am feeling tonight, but in general feel that society has changed in that respect and was really just wondering if anyone else was experiencing it..

Moonbaby, thats great about your folks, my grandparents were the same, talked non-stop and sat holding hands well into their 80's..True love.

Tommorow Im just going to insist on a family day and do something that dosen't involve an appliance..

Ply them with drink. Loosen the lips. /sunk ships etc.

Top tip - It's best to kill the power and light candles.

Sad Professor

looptheloop wrote: »

Whats happening? Ok turn all appliances off and demand communication?

Well next week is Adbuster's "Mental Detox Week" so maybe give it a try.

Steve

There was a time 'paddy' could go to the pub and have a conversation.

The government have since banned that through anti drink driving and anti 'binge' drinking propoganda.

Loopy

Sad Professor wrote: »

Well next week is Adbuster's "Mental Detox Week" so maybe give it a try.

Excellent - Didn't realise my OH and kids had partook in the making of that..

JC 2K3

Sad Professor wrote: »

Well next week is Adbuster's "Mental Detox Week" so maybe give it a try.

\o/ Adbusters.

edanto

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Dragan

Steve wrote: »

There was a time 'paddy' could go to the pub and have a conversation.

The government have since banned that through anti drink driving and anti 'binge' drinking propoganda.

Oh, do explain.

Steve

Dragan wrote: »

Oh, do explain.

I posted that 17 months ago.. I've no idea what thought processes were going on at the time but I suspect I was feeling embittered about the near criminalisation of going to the pub for a bit of banter with your mates. It's also possible, given it was a Saturday night, I was drunk and just posting shyte.