[satori99]

I tend to agree with you. I am mobile developer and have been since the days of WAP. I used to get excited about the latest mobile tech and software, and always carried the latest device.

Over the last few years my attitudes have changes considerably to the point where I no longer carry a personal smart phone around with me.

I started to notice that many, if not most conversations, I was having with real people were being interrupted by texts, emails, and other notifications, sometimes for only a second or two, but often to the point where the spoken topic of conversation was forgotten by the person i was talking with.

This included colleagues but also family members and friends.

I once tried to explain this to my own father during a lunch, but he took a ph call while I talking to him.

I have a zero tolerance policy toward this now. I don't get rude about it, but if someone will break a real life conversation with me to look a a notification, I usually excuse myself from the conversation.

[irremediable]

I've often noticed the same thing, but to the extent that if I excused myself from each such conversation, I'd have no more conversations.

As regards my own behaviour: I keep a smartphone, but I have no notifications for email or SMS. I'll receive an interrupt for a phone call (something my relatives only tend to make in emergency situations) and that's it.

I think that, for me, this is the ideal balance between giving my full attention to conversations and being contactable.

[satori99]

When I say "excuse myself" I guess I really mean from any significant conversation. I may continue to spend time with people who behave like this, but I back out of any serious discussions if they are conducted with interruptions from personal devices.

Smalltalk is easy and requires very little thought or concentration anyway, but I no longer give my full attention if it is not reciprocated.

I don't make a point of doing it, but if I am left hanging mid-word while someone checks their phone, and they subsequently attempt to pick up the thread again, I just change the topic to a bullshit one (How 'bout that game on the w'end?).