Readers’ Scoop: Totty I’ll Put Down My Game Boy If You Put Down Your Blackberry
Dear Scoop,
I recently had an experience that I would like to share with my fellow readers. I discovered the Lakewood Scoop when a friend of mine called me to tell me they were hocking about girls high schools. I spent many nights on my Treo monitoring the conversations wondering what I would go through next year when my daughter needs to go to a high school. Now we are waiting for answers from the schools we applied to. I have since graduated to a Blackberry. I have overcome my fear of commenting, and I have become a regular poster always using a new name to conceal my identity. If there is no topic regarding schools, I have found a newfound interest in our local politics. Whether to see what new downtown problems Hershel is trying to solve, or to see where Meir and Menashe are posing for photo ops. I felt that at the times that I am not working or learning I could feel accomplished by following the latest news, and adding my two cents.
I was eating supper with my family one night, intermitently looking at my phone to see the latest comments about high schools. I looked up to see my son eating while burying his face in the Game Boy I bought him. He knows that he can only use it as a reward for doing all his chazzarah, after he has finished studying his parsha, and as long as his rebbe tells me he is shteiging. And under no circumstances can he EVER,EVER, play while he eats.
I sternly said to him. “can u please close your Game Boy immediately”? To which he quickly replied, “I will close my Game Boy if you put down your Blackberry”. Before I could stand up and show him my shock at his chutzpadike response, my daughter chimed in. ” Yeah totty, you really have a problem”. The rebellion continued. ” You talk to us while you stare at that thing, we never know if you are listening to anything we are saying”, my wife added. Before I could respond, my phone chimed, calling me to look at a friends message. I pretended not to read the words, YOU BUSY?,
“Ok, you don’t understand, I need to be constantly on top of the local raid, I need to change peoples minds with my smart comments, point out the krumkeit in our community, praise those that deserve it, knock some down a few pegs if they need it”.
“Well, I was about to get to the third level on my Pokemon game”. Everyone was looking at me like I am some sad nebach, and I just don’t get it. “Just put it down and try to get through supper without it”, my wife pleaded. I put it down, and instantly noticed how strange it felt to look at the food I was eating. I ignored the pings, and rings, I asked each child how their day was. They in turn asked me how mine was. I was able to help my wife clear the table much faster using both hands. I did homework with my kids, put them to bed, all while only looking at them.
Eventually I picked up my Blackberry, went to see the latest on the Scoop. I was shocked to see over 200 comments on the high school letter. None of them were mine. Yet.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry.
There are 31 Comments to "Readers’ Scoop: Totty I’ll Put Down My Game Boy If You Put Down Your Blackberry"
Wow…this is so true! And you know what? It used to be only the fathers. Today it’s the mothers too that are thumbing the Blackberry. I am not here to discuss the tznius aspect of this. I’ll leave that to others. But can you blame children when they feel that they do not get warmth and attention from those they need it from most? Think back to yourselves and remember. I would guess that many of your fondest memories are of getting your parents undivided attention while driving somewhere, learning or playing. Our children do not get that. And sometimes we wonder why they are looking in the wrong places for attention.
Well written
well said
may I ask, what is a blackberry?
What can I do ? I’m totally addicted and can’t get rid of my blackberry because my business requires me not to. But author is right on the money . Maybe its the Jewish blogs who are fanning this addiction ? who knows ?
What is a Blackberry ? please explain
to- i”m old fashioned & still use a rotary phone says:
no where in the letter did it say anything about a phone so if you don’t know what a blackberry is why are you assuming it is some sort of phone
must be hard to text with a rotary
in my house gameboys blackberries texting & internet is strongly forbidden.
@ #1 I would like to hear more about the tznius problems of women using blackberries.
A rav once told me that the the Blackberry should be destroyed together with Hitler, Yimach Shemam Vzichrom!
This is well said. Whether its a blackberry or not, no person should be texting on his phone when in the company of spouse and children. It disturbs to no end!! There is so much to say on this topic that causes so many problems with children and marriage.
This problem has nothing to do with Blackberries per say. I have a basic phone that came free with my plan and it has web, email and text just like a blackberry does.
I never comment but I must say that thia is the best article TLS has ever posted. It is 1,000,000% true and everyone should try to work on this to make the home a better place.
Ein odum miesim atzmo rasha
As if this is the problem with the blackbery. It should be burned. And how many hundreds are there that didn’t smell the cofee yet that still thumb the blackberry and iphone and then wonder why nobody takes their kids in to school. If your chinuch stinks at home why should anyone take kids from your home into school?
very true. it’s also nice that the culprit himself admitted the problem and is working on it. keep it up!
While, of course, the worst thing is to use the blackberry in the company of your spouse and kids, people have to use some blackberry etiquette is general. If you are talking to ANYONE, ignore the message for a few minutes. Most things can wait. It’s not only rude, it makes you look foolish and pretentious (a wannabe macher, perhaps?)
A rav said the blackberry should be destroyed with hitler? Last I checked hitler was already dead. How about destroying it with ahmadenijad? I think he even uses a blackberry so it would be easy two for one. How about we destroy the snuggie with rush limbaugh or the ipod with (moderated)? The list is endless.
and the ipod
and the ipod nano
and the iphone
and the ipad
and the ds
and the psp
and the Xbox ,dvd, mp3, tls?
very well written..ty to the author and to tls for posting this messsage..keep em coming!
What about all the shmutz? That’s even worse.
I am lauging so hard abt some comments on here! Yeah ok, buddy!
i have the same sick phone
what about all the parents who dont have blackberrys and still cant get their kids into school. but then again they probably would not want their kids to go to the same school as your kids.
why did you edit my comment to #16
#16 what a pathetic thingto write
after reading all posts, I’m getting a taiva for a blackberry. Does center of town sell them?
Center of town doesn’t sell them. You might find one at Estherdale on second Street or at weichselbaums.
I got mine at rickels. My friend got a really nice one at jamesway. Remember the good old days when the beepers didn’t have cameras?
can we just tackle one issue at a time?!?!?!? i cant keep up with all the issues!!!!!