If you’ve been following Manner Monday for any length of time, you know I’m a fan of unplugging, putting the phone down and engaging in some good old fashioned ‘face-time’. Just as Business, Social and Dining Etiquette all have many layers, so does Electronic Etiquette: Email Etiquette, typing in ALL CAPS, voicemail messages, voicemail greetings, inappropriate social media sharing, you get the picture. And more than likely you’ve heard many spiels on the basic premise of Electronic Etiquette – giving the person in front of you 100% of your attention. We all get it by now. But sometimes rules are meant to be broken. If the use of technology can improve the conversation, solve a problem, or enhance the social interaction, then by all means, bring it into the equation. It’s the blatant disrespect for the person in front of you when you ‘tune in to tech’ and ‘tune them out’ that causes problems and ruins relationships.
So yes, there is a time and a place when the benefits of technology and the new and improved digital ‘face-time’ come in handy. For example during our recent end-of-the-year event for our high school students, we had unfortunate complications with Mother Nature and had to reschedule our formal dinner and ball. Needless to say, I was saddened to find out a couple of our students would not be able to attend the rescheduled event. One of those who had had a conflict with the new date was a senior, who had not missed a formal dinner in the eight years she had been participating in programs with us. So, to make the best of a difficult situation, we decided to turn to technology… Face-Time to the rescue. We were able to give her a glimpse into the evening and let her ‘chat’ briefly with some of her friends. It’s obviously not as good as attending in person, but it sure was a nice alternative to missing it all together.
Click to Tweet: If tech can improve the conversation, solve a problem, or enhance social interaction – then bring it on. #MannerMonday http://bit.ly/TechFT
On another note…
Have you seen our end of the season video yet? Thank you to one of our Student Ambassadors, Presley Rhea, for creating the video this year!
And if you’re curious as to why I was verklempt at the end of the video, you can visit this link to read the story: http://bit.ly/SrSpotCT
The highest compliment you can give us is a referral to your friends and coworkers. Please share our registration and contact information with any families you think might be interested in participating in our program.
Each year we build on the previous year as we add to the curriculum. We have many students who continue with us each season, from our Level 5 (5th grade) program through our Passport (High School) Program. Our goal with the continuous exposure, and gentle reminders, of the courtesies we teach over consecutive years – is to assist you in raising well-mannered young adults.
- Continued Exposure: Just as continued exposure to athletics and school homework reaps rewards; continued exposure to the social skills taught in our program will provide lifelong lessons that will benefit your child throughout the classroom and into the boardroom.
- Benefits and Rewards: One of the biggest rewards of our students returning year after year, is the virtual ‘light bulb’ that seems to turn on and stay on; the students are really starting to get it and they are very proud of themselves. Their confidence is building. We’ve highlighted some of our graduating seniors on my blog at www.CareySueVega.com/?s=senior+spotlight
For more information click on the links below:
5-8th Grade Programs
9-12th Grade Programs
General Information
www.ExpeditionsInEtiquette.com
As always, thanks for reading!
– Carey Sue
