[JohnWhigham]

If there’s a lull in conversation they pull out their phones.

I despise how this behavior has been completely normalized. Especially in the dating sphere. People putting their phones on the table to make sure they never miss notifications is just so fucking disrespectful to the people you're actually with.

[acuozzo]

> People putting their phones on the table to make sure they never miss notifications is just so fucking disrespectful to the people you're actually with.

FWIW, I don't use my phone while out to eat with another person, but I do put it on the table—on silent!—because it's large enough to be uncomfortable in my front pants pocket(s) while sitting.

[SamoyedFurFluff]

Personally I never understood it as disrespectful, because I assume they’ve got some personal shit they might not be able to be uncontactable for. What if someone they know is in the hospital or they’re in some other high priority issue? What if a close friend of theirs is in a tenuous health position? What if they’re checking on their children? And most certainly they’re not going to tell me and frankly I’m not entitled to whatever shit they’ve got going through it we’re just getting to know if we like each other broadly. I think assuming I should have dedicated time to someone who is just seeing if we get along is rather selfish of me- I don’t know their life enough to know if they have other priorities they’re trying to balance.

[rocketbop]

> What if someone they know is in the hospital or they’re in some other high priority issue? What if a close friend of theirs is in a tenuous health position? What if they’re checking on their children?

Even if any or all of that is true you can still put your phone away. If it's an emergency someone will call you.

[SamoyedFurFluff]

It’s also possible you miss a call, so if you check your notifications you’ll see you did. Again, I think this is all super judge mental over something that frankly isn’t my business.

[eldaisfish]

there was a time before people were reachable 24/7 and at no point in that time did the world or people's lives collapse.

[SamoyedFurFluff]

Sure, but we’re not in those times anymore. It’s weird to be like “I’m dating someone so I choose not to pick up it I miss a call from my ailing mother”.