Scene
"Some advantages particular to this age are not to be denied. Boredom seems to have been vanquished. there is always something to do, but hasn't this translated into a perpetual distraction in our lives? In the bathroom. At the dinner table. In the backseat. At a wedding...There's always something to check, something to tweet, something to download, something to play, something to share, something to buy, something on a voicemail, something to yank at our attention span and it's all in the palm of our hand for a small monthly service fee. " - Tom Hanks at Yale's graduation 2011.
Please just put away your phones and devices. I have a tremendous pet peeve about people texting while I'm hanging out with them. I absolutely don't mind if they need to attend to family matters or emergency work issues. But, I've had people look down or away while I was in the middle of a conversation with them or while I'm actually saying something, only to have to repeat it after they finished reading or replying to the text. The intermittent head bob up and down to check the lit screen is infuriating sometimes. Like, seriously, here I am right in front of you, talking with you and sharing an experience with you, but you would have the inconsideration to look away and have a virtual interaction with someone else? Thanks a lot.
Question
Is having communication, entertainment, and resources all in the palm of your hand worth it? Especially when you're actually hanging out with people you care about?
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