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527 points lxm | 1 comments | | HN request time: 0.208s | source
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vmception ◴[] No.27673471[source]
> Before the pandemic, I’d shudder at the sight of a restaurant table full of people all staring at their phones. I was always happy not to be them or be sitting with them. I always kept the lively conversation flowing at my table.

I always thought this perspective was funny because it always assumed what the people on their phones were doing. The assumption is that they are disengaged with each other when it's just as likely that they are talking with each other in a group chat alongside a few other non-present participants in the same group chat, and all trying to share photos with each other that they just took from the outting beforehand, or setting up a way to split costs in advance, or something else equally or more interactive than a conversation you can eavesdrop on.

Usually it's just shitty UX slowing them down.

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dkarp ◴[] No.27673748[source]
> it's just as likely that they are talking with each other in a group chat alongside a few other non-present participants in the same group chat

To me, that's just as bad. Spend time with the people you're with while you're with them. Text the others later. But different strokes!

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1. vmception ◴[] No.27673774[source]
Okay then, it is just as likely they are only talking with each other in a group chat made specifically for sharing media and coordination, and not any non-present participants.

Sitting down at some kind of place to eat is remarkably one of the only places where there is organic down time to synchronize media.

I do have enough self awareness to joke with my friends that out of touch people think we are probably just disengaged with each other on our phones.