As I looked out at the semi-crowded cafe, I noticed a couple who had come in for lunch. Each was in the middle of a meal and each was on a cell phone. Carrying on two different conversations, the wife discussed her plans for cleaning house while the husband talked about one of the football games. On the opposite side of the cafe was a couple who sat on the edges of the comfy chairs, engrossed in a game of checkers, laughing and teasing each other as one or the other made a wrong move.
What is the difference between the two couples? Why does one set waste their time and money on a meal that they cannot enjoy together, while the other takes the opportunity of the checkerboard to enjoy each other’s company while waiting for their food to cook?
What has happened to today’s society to make it at least plausibly acceptable to carry on a long cell phone conversation while eating out in a public establishment?
