We love to say that “we’re so connected” or that “we’re more connected than ever before,” but are we really more connected or simply more distracted?

I think the answer is clear.

Conferences

Attendees, who’ve paid for the privilege of attending a conference session, check e-mail, text on phones, check Facebook, and post twitter messages while not paying attention to the person speaking.

Working on a Project

People on deadline for an important project “work” while listening to music on the computer and responding to trivial cell phone calls, IM messages, and Facebook notifications instead of focusing on the project at hand.

Socializing

People interrupt lunches or dinners with friends or family members–the people who they just claimed were the most important thing during a not-so-distant holiday-induced sugar coma–to answer a non-urgent cell phone call rather than allowing the call to go voice mail. These are the same people who talk on the phone while using the restroom, by the way.

Driving

Don’t even get me started about people who talk on the cell phone, or heaven forbid, text on a cell phone while driving. Distracted driving is a crime and danger to society–and if you were just a threat to yourself, I wouldn’t mind so much. But, you’re a threat to me!

–Paul