Communication has changed a lot over the last few decades, as the tiny computers at our fingertips, our desks, and on our walls connect us in ever more complex ways.
Through it all, texting remains the preferred method of communication among a bulk of users — particularly younger users — thanks to its ease and accessibility. There are risks, however minor, to shooting off an unexpected text, unfortunately, as demonstrated by TikTok user Kat Taylor (@flyyoufool8).
The content creator was simply bored at a family dinner and looking to spice things up, but she made a crippling mistake in the process. Seated several people away from her husband, Kat shot off a nice spicy text for her partner to enjoy, but didn’t consider the nearby audience members. In a video she captured, clearly aiming to witness her hubby’s reaction, poor Kat caught another, entirely unplanned, reaction as well: That of her son.
It’s a great reminder about how easy our phones are to sneak a peek at, and when (and where) it’s appropriate to send a cheeky message. Unfortunately for Kat and her unsuspecting husband, the dinner table just joined the list of no-gos, after the video pays witness to her son’s scarring in real time.
It’s only 11 seconds long in total, but the view users were provided into the drama allows us to watch as two lives are changed for good. Kat’s husband, unaware that he has a hanger-on, reacts precisely as expected, with plenty of eyebrow raising and smirking nods, but it’s the kid in the background everyone else is focused on. His eyes clearly dart to the screen as pops opens the message, and it’s obvious he didn’t leave a single word unread. That brain is well and truly scalded, by the time 11 seconds have passed, and there’s no turning back for his parents.
The truly “traumatizing” moment stuck with viewers long after the video concluded, as they contemplated whether the clip serves as a learning moment or as brain bleach. Most people settled on a learning moment, and noted that this is exactly “how he learned to mind his business.”
“Your kid learned a valuable lesson. We don’t look at people’s phones,” was a common sentiment across the comment section, and at least a few people offered comfort to Kat as well, with one adding that they’ve witnessed their parents’ freaky conversations “too many times to count.” According to them, “it doesn’t traumatize” kids nearly as much as it might seem, even if it is a little weird to recognize what your parents get up to when you aren’t around.
The lesson cited by many commenters, while a rough one to learn in such an exposing way, is a vital one to absorb. Texting, as noted above, is the most popular form of communication in most areas of the world, with a 18.7 billion texts sent daily across the globe. In the U.S. alone, over 6 billion texts are sent every single day, and a full “33% of American adults prefer texts to all other forms of communication,” according to Pew Research.
With so many people firing off texts all the time, not looking at other people’s phones is a great lesson to learn. That little traumatized kiddo is guaranteed to come across more texting faux pas in the future, but we can bet this particular lesson is burned into his brain permanently.
Published: Jan 7, 2025 10:17 am