Best Table Topics Speech on Media And Friends
At HOD (Harrow Orators and Debaters) Speakers' club, on Thursday 20th August 2026, I won the best table topic speaker ribbon.
My question was: Do you think the use of media means people have fewer friends nowadays?
I replied.
No. What nonsense!
I look around and everywhere I see people on mobile phones taking to their friends. They can't all be miming and pretending to have friends just to impress me, a stranger.
When I drive a car or ride a bus I see people so busy talking to friends that they cross the road with their mobile phones to their ears.
Who are they talking to? Is it just one great friend?
Mostly their family, or spouse, or parent complains that they are constantly on the phone to their friends. My husband complains I am on the phone the whole time.
Even just from this club, I am inundated by calls all day long. 'How are you? Can you evaluate? Some body wants you to be their mentor.' And that's just a club which happens two evenings a month.
I have whatsapp groups for many organizations. All constantly talking to me, calling me.
We had to ask you all to turn off your phones during this meeting. People don't have too few friends. They have too many friends. There's a saying, with friends like these, who needs enemies.
How does anybody get any work or homework done? I can tell you. If you don't know the answer, phone a friend. Everybody is inundated with friends.
HOD meets the first and third Thursdays most months. We try to stick to the regular schedule, providing the meeting room is available and there's no major national bank holiday or religious holiday reducing audience attendance and people available to organize the meeting.
Occasionally meetings are cancelled or postponed, days changed. Sometimes there's an extra meeting for a contest or large event. There will be one on a Tuesday in September to celebrate the club's 25th anniversary.
Guests can watch for news and sign up on Meetup or Eventbrite. This enables us to get their details to keep them informed by email of changes. The notification also helps us to organize a larger room and enough chairs and refreshments.
Guests often get a chance to speak in table topics for two minutes. Members pay a six month fee and are informed about every meeting on Whatsapp. They are encouraged to give 5 to 7 minutes planned speeches from a programme called Pathways. Currently, in 2026, there is a choice of six pathways. One on Humour includes two or three projects specifically on humour.
For more details see toastmasters international online.
Some clubs have hybrid or online meetings. Toastmasters International, like the name says, has clubs all over the world. For example, many in the USA, and London, UK, and in Singapore. Communicty clubs and corporate clubs.
Community clubs mostly welcome visitors to three meetings before expecting them to decide whether they want to join the club to gain the full benefits.
Useful Websites
toastmasters.org find a club
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