What is the fascination with electronica?

[Booldawg]

As its half term I took Booldawg Jnrs to one of those ghastly 'soft play' areas. Looked like kicking out time in the Jeremy Kyle studio but thats another story.

Everywhere I looked parents were sat around constantly fiddling with their mobile phones. One couple that were obviously together were fiddling in tandem (no, not like that!)

One lady who looked well into her late 40s even had a Nintendo DS in one hand and a mobile in the other. I somehow felt that the mobile was of assistance in playing some kind game on the DS via Bluetooth or whatever fancy sounding wireless protocol.

How much actual 'real' communication do kids have with each other these days? The teenage Booldawg Jnr will communicate with friends via Facebook on the mobile and offer banal commentary on her every thought and action via her status on Facebook. Her friends will comment and do the same.

Can you imagine something like the Rave scene or the Hippy movement ever kicking off with todays despondant youth, only able to attain joy via an internet connection and multi-media imagary?

I'm amazed at seeing adults following suite; yes we all use the net to a varying degree but surely we remember back to simpler days that demanded better social skills and vivid imaginations?

[TTG]

Amazing how time changes. As a kid, we did not even have a telephone until the late 1970's. Used to walk to phone box *plays Hovis theme tune* My mate and I had a good method of communication though. We shouted to each other from our bedroom windows! He lived across the road.

[Ankou]

"but surely we remember back to simpler days that demanded better social skills and vivid imaginations"

yes of course we remember, but at the time it weren't that brilliant, and our parents thought we were unsocial weirdos who didn't know how to 'play' properly... in my day all we needed was a stick, a tyre and a hill.

yes simple indeed, thank heavens we have advanced technologically and are capable of 'keeping up'.

[jno]

they'll still arrange flashmobs or raves via Twitter, or whatever is the platform in 10 years' time.