ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact
It’s not that Gregory Ball doesn’t like using social media, he just finds himself doing other things most of the time.
Rather than fiddle with his phone during the long commute to his job at the Betoota Sailing Club, the popular bartender opts to play on his beloved Nintendo DS.
When he gets a moment to himself, such as at smoko or afternoon tea, he somehow just stands there and thinks about things and people.
The 25-year-old electrician seems to do anything but scroll through a timeline or shoot somebody a like.
“It doesn’t entertain me that much, not as much as other things,” he said.
“Like, I’ve got the accounts and so on, but yeah. I don’t really use it that much. Maybe like once a week? Like maybe to just see what everybody’s up to and stuff? But, ah, yeah. Not a big user of The Face Book,”
“When I get a moment, I like to think about things. Like this funny thing my housemate did the other day. You had to be there, man. Sometimes I think about my girlfriend and other times I think about pets I saw on the way to work. Today I saw a nice Border Collie called Brett. His coat was so soft.”
Many of Greg’s friends understand that when they invite him to a party or gathering on the Face Book, there’s a good chance he won’t see it for weeks.
Which is why they deploy a tactic once previously exclusive to older generations.
They ring and tell him.
“I never miss a party or anything,” he said.
“Only if I’m sick or something. Then maybe I’d consider staying at home and keeping warm plus hydrated. But yeah, if the guys are going to the pub or something like that. They call me. If there’s a birthday party on or something, they call me and ask if I’m going. No qualms from this old party horse,”
“But I do use WhatsApp and stuff, I’m not a cave man.”
More to come.
