Mobile Devices, Meetings, Conferences, and I

I love to be the centre of attention – maybe it’s the Leo within me.

Throughout my career I've enjoyed many opportunities to feed my ego, and share some of my insights, by publicly speaking, at lectures, lunch and learns, and various conferences and workshops.

Years ago, before we were all wired, everyone paid attention. Well, there were the occasional folks who were told by their boss they had to attend, and just didn't want to be there. But they don’t count – you can’t force someone to listen if they've already decided not too.

These days, even those that are supposedly very excited to hear me –or any public speaker – often spend the whole time with their head down, seemingly ignoring the very speech they wanted to hear.

They aren't sleeping. They aren't glancing at their shoes – though sometimes I wonder. They are stuck with their eyes glued to their mobile devices.

Years ago, we’d tell the few that had cell phones and pagers– remember those? – to please turn them off at the start of the session. It was considered rude, and often drew rolling eyeballs of disgust when someone’s cell phone went off during a professional presentation. 

These days, it’s okay.

Wait a sec. . .

NO IT IS NOT OKAY.

We've become so used to people with their heads buried in their mobile devices at all times and in all social and professional situations, that we've been conditioned to ignore it, and just accept it.

But that’ doesn't make it okay.

It’s still the height of rudeness to ignore anyone, while you text, tweet or post a new status update on your mobile device.

It’s rude to take a call, answer an email, or do any of the zillion of other things we do on our mobile devices, when our attention should be on the person speaking.

The problem isn't so much the mobile device, they are just bits of plastic and metal – they can’t control themselves.

The problem is with our increasingly iSociety.

The iPhone was – and still is – a remarkable piece of tech. As Apple founder, the late Steve Jobs said when he first showed off the iPhone “this changes everything.”

Never before has any piece of technology become so entrenched in the notion of our self, that it created a whole cultural change.

Until the iPhone, which now made it possible to spend an entire life, buried head first, eyes glued to the screen.

The iPhone – and now all smart phones and most mobile devices – are so customizable, and so full of every bit of our lives, that we have created a society which is focused solely on the I.

There are few of us or we anymore.

Oh we share everything we think on the social networks. But think about it – when you are tweeting, emailing and texting, and most things we do on our mobile devices, you are engaging in solely singularly one person activities. You don't jointly tweet, email, text or talk.

And as almost everyone these days is wired with one of these mobile devices – or more –  we've become accustomed to living in a world, where eye contact and the thought of interacting with those around us has become a rare – if not unheard of – thing.

We've created an iSociety.

And, sadly, in an iSociety, no one else matters but me, myself and I.

So that speaker you tweeted you were excited to listen to goes unheard. All you remember about the lecture is that cute cat picture someone posted on their Facebook during the speech.

It’s rude to ignore those around you. And it’s even worse that our society has made that an acceptable part of life.

Let’s change that. Starting today, from now on, when you go to a meeting, conference, or any professional or social function, tuck away your mobile device into a pocket, purse or someplace out of sight. And leave it there, out of sight, and out of mind, until you are really alone.

You can do it. I have faith in you.

And you might actually hear that speaker you tweeted you were excited to hear – for a change!