Halo 3? What's That? My parents came in town from Kansas City for Parents Weekend, and they made several comments that made me realize they will never accept some forms of new media, meaning forms of media they didn't grow up experiencing. One incident in particular made me laugh.

My dad, Mike, was telling me about an encounter he had about a week ago with young employee at work. Mike saw the company's new tech guy leaving for what appeared to be lunch--about noon, no briefcase in hand, etc. Making conversation, Mike asked him where he was going to eat. The guy stared at him like he was crazy, and said, "I'm not going to lunch. I'm going to a bunch of stores to see if they got in my advanced orders of Halo 3!" My dad then proceeded to ask him what type of movie Halo was. The man in his late 20s stared at Mike and said, "Dude. You are so out of touch."

My parents simply don't understand the appeal of video games. In their eyes, it's a complete waste of energy. If they're going to be around a TV, they'd rather watch the news or a family-oriented sitcom than try to figure out how to blow up a virtual car with a complex plastic controller.

Nine times out of 10, my parents are in the late majority--pushing the laggard category--when it comes to anything technological. They figure that if they're getting along alright without the latest phone, gaming system or TV, they probably don't need it. They just don't care. When it gets to the point my younger siblings are telling them their X, whether it be phone or whatever else, is so horrendous that they're committing social suicide, they might consider investing in an updated version of what they already had. But they definitely want to know they aren't purchasing fad items; they research and poll people to see how they like their devices before they go get their own.  ¶ posted by Claire at 4:02 PM •