Techno-Mom
By Charles B. French
By Charles B. French
While technology can be an amazing tool that helps us in our day-to-day lives, we can become addicted to it far too easily. Sometimes we get so caught up in keeping track of everything that happens in social media that we ignore what's happening in front of our faces.
Characters
Katie - a mom who pays more attention to her phone than her family
Mark - Katie's husband
David - Katie's son
Madison - Katie's daughter
Mom Katie is at the table with her husband Mark, son David, and daughter Madison. Katie is texting merrily away while everyone else stares at her. There is a full meal in front of them and a banner reading “Happy Mother’s Day” behind them. The kids and Mark look at each other nervously.
Mark:
Honey?
Katie:
Not
now.
Mark:
No,
I think now.
David:
Mom,
please.
Madison:
We
have to say grace.
Madison:
No,
we need a real prayer.
Katie:
I’m
busy, one of you talk to God. Tell Him I said hi.
Mark:
Dear,
you always pray on Mother’s Day. It’s tradition.
Katie:
(still without
stopping) Fine, all of you bow your heads. (They all bow and close their eyes while she
keeps playing on her phone.) Thank you Lord for this day, and this food,
and if you could make that last stupid pig fall over that would be great
because I really don’t want to start this level over again. Amen.
The
other three say “Amen” halfheartedly and open their eyes.
Mark:
Shouldn’t
you put that down?
David:
I
thought we had a No Phones at the Table Rule.
Katie:
Oh,
that still applies. But right now Mommy needs to make my next move in “Words
with Friends” because Janice is trying to get that triple word score but she’s
about to be taken to school.”
Mark:
Yeah,
speaking of school. There’s a field trip form that we both need to sign.
Katie:
Just
forge my signature.
Mark:
It
will take two seconds.
Katie:
I
can’t afford to spend two seconds if I want to beat this Fruit Ninja high
score.
David:
Mom,
can you help me with my English project? We’re building dioramas.
Katie:
You
don’t need my help. I’m sure there’s an app for that.
Madison:
You
said you were going to help me with my math homework.
Katie:
Just
go to Youtube and look it up. I’m sure it’s on there. If not, Google it.
David:
Uh,
Mom, some friends and I are going to take our skateboards to an old
construction site.
Katie:
Make
sure you get some good pictures and I’ll tweet them.
Mark:
Honey,
what if he gets hurt.
Katie:
That’s
true. Get video and you’ll go viral. Just think, my son could be trending. (She looks to her daughter) Why can’t
you trend like your brother?
Madison:
I
don’t know what that means.
Mark:
Look,
this is Mother’s Day. We were wanting to spend some quality time together. I
don’t think that’s too much to ask.
Katie:
Oh,
you want some quality time? All right, I’m sending you an extra special
picture, Dear.
Mark:
(takes out his phone to
see the picture, expecting something special. He’s instead disappointed.)
These are shoes.
Katie:
They’re
on sale. Go buy them for me.
Katie
gets a call. She answers her phone and pulls out a second one and begins
texting.
Katie:
Hi.
No, I can talk.
Mark:
Honey,
your family wants to have a nice family dinner with you.
Katie:
Oh,
don’t worry about him. What did you want to talk about? Oh, your toe fungus.
Tell me all about it.
The
rest of the family leaves the table. Katie stays behind, talking and texting.
Katie:
Wow,
that’s some awful fungus. So how’s the family? That’s great. Mine’s doing really
well, too. No, I don’t know how David’s last game went? Really? Madison’s in
the school play? How did I miss this? Could you post the video? I’ll have to
check it out online. What? My husband was in the hospital? When did that happen?
(She looks up and sees that no one is at
the table.) Where’d you all go? How come no one tells me anything?
Katie
gets up and leaves.
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Techno-Mom Copyright © 2013 Charles B. French. All Rights Reserved.
You may perform this script for free as long as no admission is charged
for the performance. I would love to hear about how it went, so drop me a
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