Simply Unnecessary.

   I am not the kind of person that self-righteously reminisces about "when I was their age"..., because I am, after all,  only 28 and am not sufficiently far away from their age to have anything profound to say.  However I had a rather interesting encounter today wherein the phrase "Kids today!!" was entirely apt.  Let me lay the scene for you:

   I was sitting in my local Verizon store waiting my turn to be helped.  I couldn't help but overhear the conversation between the nearest Verizon rep and the CHILD with the Android phone in her hand, complete with pink and white cover (no offense to my pink-loving readers out there, but the pink and white just struck me as so appropriately juvenile in this situation).  The conversation went something like this:

VZ Rep:  No, I'm not sure why Facebook isn't working on your phone.  Do you have a Facebook account?

Overindulged child:  Yes.

VZ Rep:  How old are you?

Overindulged child: Nine.

VZ Rep:  Well, I believe you have to be at least thirteen to sign up for a Facebook account.

Overindulged child:  *guilty silence*  My friend made the account for me.

VZ Rep:  Then you need to ask "your friend" to give you the email address and password they used to create this account for you.  I can't help you.

Overindulged child:  *makes that defiant throat-clearing sound that indicates to all in her immediate vicinity that she is superior to the Verizon miscreant who deigned to speak to her in such a flippant manner and who refused to assist her in her ongoing Facebook tragedy, worthy of committing to writing by a Greek author of epic tales of woe*   **

**  Incidentally, this is the same sound that anyone who has had the pleasure  of being a teen-aged girl knows how to make, and has mastered to the point of an art form.

   I could just see in the poor rep's eyes how badly she wanted to use air quotes around the phrase "your friend".  Really?  This nine year old girl has an Android phone with access to the Internet, and her own Facebook page (which, incidentally is against their terms of use because you do have to be at least thirteen to have an account...).  Is this really necessary?  I can understand a basic phone to check in with Mom and Dad and assure them that you haven't been eaten by rabid alligators or something, but an Android?  Come on now.  Give me one good reason why a nine year old requires technology like that and I will eat my words, but from where I sit, this is completely unnecessary.  Sigh.  Let me just get back to my rocker on the porch with a shotgun and a garden hose to keep these d@mn kids off my lawn...