“Etiquette is all about obstacles and restraint. But technology, especially cellphone and texting technology, dissolves obstacles.”
Not usually the biggest David Brooks fan, but I can get behind his piece in today’s NYT:
Once upon a time — in what we might think of as the “Happy Days” era — courtship was governed by a set of guardrails. Potential partners generally met within the context of larger social institutions: neighborhoods, schools, workplaces and families. There were certain accepted social scripts. The purpose of these scripts — dating, going steady, delaying sex — was to guide young people on the path from short-term desire to long-term commitment.
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