Cold Food but It Doesn't Matter

It is that time of the week again for me to do my observations. I have been very busy this week, and honestly I have not been paying much attention to the things that have been going on around me. Midterms are starting and I have a lot of things going on in my mind. I arrived at my field site in a hurry, my back and arms protesting in pain from all the books I have been carrying around campus. I found the closest available table to me and sat down. I did not even register the smell that always surrounds the cafeteria, and I also did not notice the looks a few people gave when I rushed through the door, it was only until I took a seat that I registered the looks. I pulled out my laptop and started taking notes.

 The first thing that I noticed was that there were many people in the place, some were ordering food, others were sitting down with friends, and there was also people sitting in the tables outside. It was a sunny day, but the weather was enjoyable. There seemed to be much activity there despite that it was in the morning. Everyone was enjoying their lunch and the company of their friends. I heard a groups of girls talking about the guys they were interested in and how they hoped to see them at a party that they were going to attend. I noticed how much attention they paid to each other; there was not a cellphone in sight, which was very different compared to the last I was there.

A couple eating their breakfast were seated three tables from me. I assumed they were a couple by the way they looked at each other, and also by the way they focused all their attention on the other person. It didn't feel right to try to listen to their conversation, and even if I wanted to it would've been very hard because of the all the noise going around. I got the feeling that they wouldn't hear if someone was trying to get their attention. They seem like the type of couple who spend all their time in each other's company, and yet they don't get tired of being together all the time. I found that very heart warming and sweet.

The tables outside consisted of two boys and one girl each one sitting alone doing homework and studying. The three of them had their laptops out and books were spread in the tables. They had a burrito, but they were not eating it, by the time they remembered to take a bite their food would be cold. I could imagine the stress that they might have felt because I was also experiencing it. They did not take their eyes of their computers, and they occasionally glanced at their phone and responded to a text. This was the only thing that was almost the same as the last I was here: the use of phones cannot be stopped even when you are studying and doing homework.

When it was time for me to leave, the groups of girls and the couple were still engrossed in their conversations. The use of technology for that hour was very low compared to last week. But even then it reinforces how important technology is to this generation. I can come to the conclusion (by observing and also by personal experience) that the use of cellphones depends on the importance of the person you are communicating face to face and the topic of the conversation.