A world first: Teen girls actually using video calling

I have just taken delivery of yet another total shocker of a pinstripe suit. I’m a particular fan. The bolder the better. The slight arse, though, is transporting them home. You can’t easily sling the suit over your shoulder — and walking along with your arm held up holding the suit bag so it doesn’t drag on the floor. So it was with a bit of discomfort that I stood at the rail station this evening waiting to get picked up. I could have walked the 20 minute walk home looking like Jeeves out of Jeeves & Wooster. I decided not to.

This gave me sufficient time to work out what the racket coming from the photobooth was. There were three teen girls, I dunno maybe 15/16 years old, sat around the photobooth playing with their phones. One of the handsets was playing music to which the three were bobbing their heads along to, while another one had it’s speakerphone on — to what sounded like a phone conversation. When I looked round, I was astounded to note that the three girls were all nattering away at some other girl(s) via their friend’s video phone. Absolutely fascinating.

The call went on for a good 5-7 minutes or so — at the other end there were clearly at least two other girls, I think, at home — from what I managed to pick up.

Now that’s the first time — a world first for me — that I’ve seen ANYONE making a public video call, let alone ‘cool’ teenage girls using the technology. My immediate questions were:

1) What handset was she using. I THINK it was a fairly new Samsung.

2) What network? Now this would have been interesting. I was banking on perhaps Three or Vodafone. I’d imagine she was using her ‘free’ video minutes. I doubt very much that she was paying 50 odd pence a minute to make the call.

3) What price plan? Pay as you go or monthly? I wonder. I suspect dad pays it monthly and the price plan came with some video minutes.

I wonder, I wonder. Does that mean that there’s widespread acceptance of the technology, provided it’s a) reasonably priced and b) you’re doing it with a group of mates? I don’t know. Too many assumptions. I need to do some research on this.