Impolite Delight

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past 20 years, you'll know we've been living in an age of technological excuses. Wearing an IPod means you didn't hear the fire bell. Having a smartphone means you can check emails during meetings (or, among the slack of us, play Words With Friends). Having three computers at your desk, each angled for wider screen viewing, means that you don't have to interact with people anywhere within an 180 degree visual radius. They are good excuses, and they tend to let people off the hook for a number of social crimes. Was he ignoring you? No, he just didn't hear you. Not returning your emails? Spam filter. And the list goes on.

 The secret to all of this technological blocking is, of course, that most of the time people aren't actually occupied. They just want to seem occupied. For those of you reading this that think you're above dock-blocking, I ask you to look deep into your soul and ask: Have you pretended to text someone whilst avoiding someone you know on the street? Perhaps unplugged one earphone out of your ear to listen to someone, only to turn up the music a little when the conversation got boring? Yes, I know you have - not to mention the 'not available to chat' functions on Facebook and Gmail. You see, it's human nature - and with technology it's just far too easy an opportunity to pass up.

But what is the real problem with dock-blocking, you ask? Since when did we have to be available 24/7 to any old acquaintance you've added on Facebook (especially when you've only added some to stalk their pictures)?

I hear you. I've had the same dilemma myself. Perhaps there is some etiquette, just like there would be with any other social phenomenon, that needs to be applied. Social media sites could easily bypass some rules around not ignoring people. Emails - well, it depends on whether it's work-based, whether you know the person, how much legitimacy the subject carries. Face-to-face interactions are really the sore point of distraction here - it is a rather decaf, and resentment-inducing, task to talk to someone living half-screen, half-reality.

Since multitasking has been outed as particularly inefficient,  perhaps the idea is to live a little more in the less-pixelated, more natural atmosphere; to love and leave the IPhone; to recognize the dead-end of Words with Friends. For though we shouldn't be expected to respond to everyone, perhaps the question has now reversed: since when were our responses not expected?

A little Friday food for thought.