Clayton News Daily

First, let me apologize to all 10 of my Twitter followers for not having tweeted anything since opening my account a week ago.

I haven't been compelled enough to let you know what I ate for breakfast, lunch or dinner. I'm sure you wouldn't be interesting in knowing that I chose the blue shirt over the gray one.

But I promise you that I will get better, and tweet more often. Promise FTBOMH.

We are now living in a world where information is readily available at our fingertips. Sometimes I don't think I'm taking full advantage of it, but I'm comfortable with that.

I still think it better to pick up the phone and talk to some one rather than sending a text, tweet or e-mail. So much can get lost in translation. But because of our busy lifestyles and multitasking, that can be the only way of communication.

I'm old school. Grew up in the '70s and '80s. Bell-bottoms and disco era and my curfew was the street lights (kids, go ask your parents or grandparents).

Big day at the Mahone house growing up was when dad decided to buy a color television (Yes, there was a time when the picture was only black and white). And, an even bigger day was when we got a TV with a remote control. No longer did my sisters and I have to run in from playing in the yard to change the TV for my dad who was sitting only 10 feet away.

We always wondered why he would get up, come to the door and yell for one of us to come change the channel.

Just wondering if he could have used all that energy just to change the channel himself? SMH.

This technology-driven world is definitely amazing. Some of it is way over my head.

OMG. My parents were old school. My mother has never used a microwave in her life. She had one that just sat in the corner in the room off the kitchen.

To her, the oven was perfectly fine for warming food.

Growing up, our telephone didn't have call-waiting.

My father's reasoning, "They'll call back." LOL!

All my classmates growing up played outside, not online.

The message that coaches and parents are now pushing to teenagers is be careful with all this technology. Remember, once you hit the send button, its for all the world to see.

There is life after high school.

"I think more than anything, we're worried about how they're perceived," Stockbridge football coach and athletics director Kevin Whitley said. "Whether it be college recruiters, whether it be admissions people, or future employers. It's really the image, and how they're perceived."

In other words -be careful.

And if you are interesting in knowing what I had for breakfast in the morning follow me at DerrickMahone_.

TTYL!

Derrick Mahone covers sports for the Clayton News Daily and Henry Daily Herald. He can be reached at dmahone@news-daily.com.