It is almost impossible these days to go somewhere in public and not see somebody stuck to their cell phone. I see it every day as I commute to work; on the subway almost every person is absorbed in some form of cell phone usage, walking through the city streets I see people texting and walking out into traffic, or almost getting hit by cars because they are stuck in their phone conversation. Even as I work, I observe people too absorbed in whatever is going on on the other end of their phone conversation to pay attention to their surroundings.
To the people-watching part of my brain, it is fascinating to observe the behaviors of these distracted creatures as they attempt to navigate the aisles of my store. Watching all these human beings--whom have all gathered in this public place to shop and purchase sustenance for themselves and family--avoid as much interaction with others as possible. They shop with headphones in, listening to music or talking to someone else while they drive their carts through crowded aisles, stopping in the middle of the road to grab something and thus, halting everyone else attempting to traverse the same aisle. They drive their carts over feet and into others because they don't look where they are walking. In her blog post, Sherry Turkle says, "Multitasking comes with its own high, but when we chase after this feeling, we pursue an illusion. Conversation is a human way to practice unitasking". My biggest complaint about cell phone usage at work is how it affects my interactions with the customers I assist at my register. It should be common courtesy to direct your attention to the person helping you, and perhaps have a some sort of conversation. Not having that contact makes the transaction longer and more complicated than it needs to be. I can not adequately assist someone if their needs are not conveyed to me beforehand and if I need to re-bag groceries because somebody could not take the time to tell me what type of bags they need until the end of the transaction, it is going to be more frustrating for all parties and waste not only their time, but also my own I could be using to assist other, perhaps more deserving customers. I don't think cell phones should be banned from public use, but they cause a huge disconnect between people in public. Please put them down for just a few seconds to cross the street, or at least say hello to your friendly cashier.
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