Wayne Mellinger, "Cell Phones and Civility, and the Emergence of "Uncivil Inattention in Public Life"
Cell Phones and Civility, and the Emergence of ‘Uncivil Inattention’ in Public Life By Wayne Mellinger (Originally appears on Noozhawk 4-27-13) The people around us in public places are increasingly physically present while being socially absent. They are, in a sense, both simultaneously” there” and “not there.” The popularization of cell phones, laptops, iPods and the like has drastically transformed the nature of the norms of acceptable behavior in public places. While people might be sharing our immediate social space, they have often substantially removed themselves from the possibility of social interaction. I am apprehensive about ranting on too much about the “decline of civility” in modern public life, as I see a change in normative behavior. Yet, I am fearful for what these changes might portend for the health of a robust public sphere and participatory democratic polity. Everywhere I go I find people tethered to electronic devices, which keep them connected to their know...