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Unplugged

October 1, 2021 16 Comments

By Beejal Shah

My teenager’s universe turned dark today. “No power!” he squealed.

“Well, here’s your Spotify.” I handed him a boombox.

He gawked at the mammoth of an apparatus. Incomprehensible dials and oversized buttons. A cockpit had less controls! Heedlessly turning knobs, powerless against screeching static, he ached for Alexa.

I gave him a newspaper. “Your News Feed.”

His fingers fumbled with the oversized pages. After a failed conquest to find the Sports section, he chucked the crumpled mess on the floor and shambled off to bed. Napping didn’t require electricity.

With a smirk, I flipped the breaker switch and watched The Crown.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Don Tassone says

    October 1, 2021 at 7:10 am

    Great story, especially the last line.

    Reply
  2. Howard Humes says

    October 1, 2021 at 8:38 am

    I like it. I enjoy clear consise stories with a touch of humor. Good job!

    Reply
  3. Coco says

    October 1, 2021 at 8:42 am

    Good humor.
    Nicely done!

    Reply
  4. Jeffrey M. Dean says

    October 1, 2021 at 10:04 am

    Hahaha! And these are the kids who are supposed to take care of us in our old age??

    Reply
  5. Helen Connell says

    October 1, 2021 at 10:52 am

    It perfectly describes parenting a teenager.

    Reply
  6. Hetal says

    October 1, 2021 at 1:25 pm

    Very well written, amazing humour. Fresh story

    Reply
  7. Archie Iyer says

    October 2, 2021 at 12:28 am

    Today’s “digital” generation..
    Well described..
    I specially loved that last line..

    Reply
  8. Cathy Chapaty says

    October 2, 2021 at 10:13 am

    Excellent, especially the end!

    Reply
  9. Philana Marie Boles says

    October 2, 2021 at 1:56 pm

    Ha! What a great story. Well done…

    Reply
  10. ViperGuy says

    October 2, 2021 at 4:01 pm

    Loved this. Wonderful portrayal of our dependence on technology, and what happens when it’s not available. Well done.

    Reply
  11. J Sagar says

    October 3, 2021 at 12:37 pm

    Nice, funny read.
    Great job!

    Reply
  12. Kelly Louisa Balliu says

    October 4, 2021 at 10:31 am

    She wears the crown with pride 🙂

    Reply
  13. Anjali vora says

    October 5, 2021 at 10:17 pm

    Crisp message and wonderful ending

    Reply
  14. Veronique Aglat says

    October 6, 2021 at 7:20 am

    I’m old enough to remember an analog life; I’ll take digital any day.

    Reply
  15. Liz says

    October 8, 2021 at 7:08 pm

    If a child doesn’t understand how newspapers and boomboxes work, why is it the child’s fault? I’m really not a fan of people not teaching children obsolete technology, but then sneering at them for not knowing how to use it…

    Nicely written, but I don’t particularly agree with the content.

    Reply
  16. Laura Besley says

    October 13, 2021 at 3:02 am

    This made me chuckle!

    Reply

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