[ADXA] Future of Ham Radio

[HamOP]

SO SO agree with you. My grandkids during the past 2-3 Christmases were always strolling down their Ipad or I Phone, etc. Never hardly looked up to talk during the entire 2 days. They are over 21 years old. There are 3 new psychiatric illnesses now recognized as severe enough to have their own insurance billing codes from a doctor’s office. The ACT scores are down as are overall grades in school, and many are having problems keeping a new job because they are constantly looking under the desk at text messages, as if each one is absolutely necessary to answer, THEN… Well, I turn my cell on each AM and PM for about 20 minutes and then back off. Occasionally if something important is needed I will ask them to CALL me. I can say more in one minute on the phone than 5 minutes of texting… Anyway, if folds over into our ham hobby. Maybe the ARRL can come up with some answers… Hope so.
San   TU George!!

Sent from Mail for Windows 10

From: WB5JJJ
Sent: Monday, December 30, 2019 10:26 AM
To: ADXA Mailing List
Subject: [ADXA] Future of Ham Radio

Several of us locally have arrived at similar conclusions about the "future" of ham radio.  All one has to do is look in the mirror or take a gander around at local club meetings.  The overall age is maturing (getting old and gray) at a rapid rate, and we are well aware of this.  The younger generation is just not interested in something they can't control (propagation).  Plus they are not into face-to-tace or vocal conversations.  They would rather have several text message groups going at once.  

When I was working with the youth of today, I would constantly ask them to call me instead of text after text trying to get things taken care of.  Most of the time, they would not call.  They told me a phone call was just to restrictive, let alone coming to my office for a sit down conversation.  That was just one person they could communicate with at a time.  Not their idea of efficiency.  

Judging from questions I've seen on the various Facebook pages related to ham radio, the new group of hams passed their tests in rapid succession without any real nutz and boltz application to the theory they memorized for the exam.  But, at least they are now in the ranks and hopefully they will stay and become really active.  Someday, the FT crazy will wain as conditions improve and they will find less and less folks to work.  Then what?  Grab a mic and stutter through their first real QSO.  Scary thought for them.  

The question remains, just how do we entice the youth away from their cell phones?  I don't know of anything.  Just look around at any gathering of a cross-section of people.  The vast majority will be looking down and missing the world around them.  

A few years ago, I took a friends, teenage son to Europe for a couple of weeks.  He had been bugging me for several years to go with me.  So I told him that when he was 18, and with his parents permission, we would go.  I knew it was going to be interesting.  He has NO interests other than his cell phone.  So why did he want to go?  Probably to just say "I went to Europe last week".  But all his friends already knew that.  

As we traveled all over Copenhagen, London and Paris, I had to constantly tell him to look up to see the sights.  He would snap a picture, look back at his phone and text it to his groups.  I had to tell him to put down his phone when we sat down to eat with friends.  He looked so annoyed at me.  

But, worldwide, this is the new norm for just about everybody.  I use my cell all the time, but I know when to have it out and when not to.  If it rings while eating with friends, It's ignored as that call can wait.  Do you remember when we got home from work or school and eventually checked the message machine, maybe?  

My 2 cents (and then some).  

73's and Happy New Year all.

-- 
George - WB5JJJ

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