Unplugged
We have always been a low-tech family. We have always had only one PC for the family, and the kids have bought their own when they started college. They had to wait for smartphones until they were 16-17, depending on how ready we thought they were. There has been a huge shift in the prevalence of social media since the older kids came of age, and one of our kids got caught up in that, unfortunately. We rely more on books, newspapers, the library and talking to one another for information and interaction. And that makes my kids different. Most of them haven't really cared, and have actually felt grateful to have avoided a lot of drama and trouble and time wasters. But a recent conversation uncovered a startling revelation. Both my 16 and 14 year old kids have experienced something several times each. They meet someone at an activity or what have you, spend time with that person, then part ways when the activity has run its course. Later, they run into that person and immediately