I am definitely not average. I hate the way people are obsessed with their phones. I find extremely annoying. It seems that manners have all but disappeared. I can’t count how many times a day a converstation with another nanny at the playground or storytime is interrupted by a phone call or text. 9 times out of 10, rather than postponing a reply to their phones, they immediately cut the conversation short as if the message is a matter of life or death.I’m somewhat of a solitary introvert, but when I’m out in public so many nannies seem to be more interested in poking around on their smartphone screens instead of interacting with others or being aware of their surroundings. And also most of the nannies in the neighborhood I work speak very little English (they have trouble understanding me when I ask how are you or how old are they) and the other languages they speak (Spanish) aren't ones I know myself.

Don’t get me wrong – I have a cell phone. I use it for phone calls and that's it. However, I keep these to a minimum at work and try to be polite about how I use it in public. People are more important to me than some gadget in my pocket.
I will admit that I saw an app on my husband's phone that I thought was pretty cool. It was a “star chart” thing that showed the location and position of the stars, as well as the moon and sun during any time of day or night. It’s not enough to make me want an iphone – I just thought it was pretty amazing. If my interest in astronomy grows more, I may invest in a telescope and other equipment and kick it old school.

Anonymous wrote:
I am 25 and rarely use my phone as well. I don't have a smart phone and I don't have a text message plan or camera. I just have a basic flip phone and it works well for me.

And do you think you are more or less average for your generation, or would you say you are significantly less tech-obsessed than the majority of your peers?

Anecdotal but honest exceptions just don't negate a valid generalization.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think you hired way too young OP.

I know I will probably get flamed for saying this, but when hiring younger sitters, there is a higher possibility that they will be less interactive w/the children and more engaged w/their cell phones. It is just the generation they were raised in. Technology is a HUGE part of their upbringing. Their phones are practically glued to their hips and they need to be available to their friends and family at all times. They need to update their Facebook status two to three times a day as well as their Twitter, etc. It's the sign of their time.

Older women who weren't raised like this do not have to depend on their phones to function.
They remember how it was when these devices didn't exist and how they survived w/out them and were just fine. They do not feel as if they need to be reachable at all times.

I would highly recommend hiring someone 30 and above. This person would be much more mature and have the life experience and the common sense to know that sitting on the couch playing on your phone does not equate "work" in today's society.

How many 30+ year old women are in the market for a 9 hour a week job? And where is this arbitrary 30 year cut off coming from? It seems to be the magical number touted on every thread when women are suddenly old enough to be mature and stay off their phones. So silly. What happens if a candidate is 29, OP should just discount her on principle? I'm 27 and wasn't raised on my phone and rarely use it, my sister is 33 and uses it more than anyone I know...

I am 25 and rarely use my phone as well. I don't have a smart phone and I don't have a text message plan or camera. I just have a basic flip phone and it works well for me. I see tons of older nannies poking their all day long. Sometimes they're pushing the baby in the swings and reading something on their phone without looking up at the baby for long periods! And this is when I am right next to them pushing my chair in the bucket swings.