Phone distractions

I see it all the time. People are on their phones and have no idea where they are. They are like zombies. It doesn’t bother me too much. I find it a little bit amusing.

I like watching people. Not in a voyeuristic way. I like to observe. It’s my job to see how people dress, walk, talk, move. You can find this in an upcoming cartoon or comic.

Things have changed a little bit since I posted here last. I found a job that is totally different to what I ever did in the past. I look after students who are falling between the cracks and need a little bit of help. So, all of a sudden my observation skills come in handy. All those years watching people was helpful.

I was working with autistic students. It’s a challenge. But I did notice small differences in their body language. I watched them when they started to become agitated, when they get annoyed and when they are excited. It helped me understand them.

Now, I digress. The phone. It’s the same thing here. At school the students aren’t allowed to have their phone. By law. But those sneaky little buggers find creative ways to circumnavigate the problem. Sometimes they hand in an old phone. Sometimes only the case.

I have a privileged position in a class room. I can roam around and I’m not the focus of their attention. I see a lot. But I’m not the police officer. I enjoy their little ways of deceit. Especially the creative ones. Although I point it out to them that they got sprung.

But I also notice that the students get anxious when the phone is taken away. They almost behave like they have withdrawal symptoms. They get edgy. They get irritated. Once their phone is handed back it’s like a junky got their fix.

What I’m trying to say is that we have a generation that is fixated on their mobile devices. So much that they sometimes forget their surroundings and like in my cartoon, they can get robbed without them noticing.

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