A rant, but not the energizing kind

This has happened two weeks in a row, that two of my young women have skipped class, and I've noticed that several seem to be skipping Sunday School too. In fact, I saw one of my girls in the foyer all during sacrament meeting, and when I was leaving I saw three girls (from another ward) skipping their meetings, all of them hunched over the same thing: a cell phone.

Seriously, they send and receive messages during church, and will even skip class so they don't have to take a break from typing super-important messages, like "Yeah, I think he's cute."

So one of my girls, the one I saw in the foyer when I took a preschooler out for a drink, had her phone out the entire hour. And then when I saw her during SS, she looked really stormy, like upset about something. Then by Young Women she'd gone home. I'm not a genius but it appears that communication between her and the friend(s) didn't go well.

The other two girls, the ones I said skipped Young Women two weeks in a row--well, I think one of them is addicted to her phone. The other one seems to tag along. Because, hello, who skips Young Women? Well, when I saw one slip out the door and the other follow after, I basically chased after them and then they started to RUN! And then they split up! So good thing I have experience chasing down twins, right? I let the follower go and pursued the phone-holder. She turned the corner and changed to a fast walk, pretending not to know I was behind her, but it was that obviously uncomfortable walk people do when they know YOU know they're ignoring you. She made it all the way outside before I ambushed her.

I said, "Where are you going?", trying to act like I was out for a mid-class jog myself. She said, "Ummm, I just have to make this phone call," a little guiltily. And I said, "Don't you like Young Women? We sure miss you," because I've asked her about this before. Predictably she said, "I love you all, really. I just have to make this phone call and then I'll be back in a minute." So I said, "Okay, please come back because it's not the same without you," and I gave her a hug.

She didn't come back.

And while I still believe that she doesn't feel comfortable in class for some reason, I also think she--like so many others--is addicted to the steady stream of information that texting provides. So it's no wonder it feels uncomfortable to shut off communication with the outside world for 3 hours.

This is my third round in Young Women. It was hard enough to keep the girls' attention 10 years ago, with activities, friend drama, and passing notes. But now it is nearly impossible to compete with the lure of cell phones and texting. Sorry to be dramatic, but kids are falling prey to technological seduction. I think that if, IF, young people have phones there HAVE TO BE limits and boundaries set by the parents.

I think there's no reason to bring a phone to church.

I think that a cell phone is a privilege, not a right.

I think that young people (or old people) preoccupied with text messaging miss out on social cues, manners (like making eye contact), and friendships.

I think that when someone welcomes a constant din of information, they do it at the expense of hearing the whisperings of the Holy Spirit.

So my down mood is for two reasons: one, because it's getting harder for young people to keep from falling through the ever-widening cracks; and two, I need to do something about my class skippers. I really do love those girls and I want to handle this the best way--one that will bring them closer, and not farther away, from the Light.