[IxDA Discuss] virtual vs. physical social behavior

[Katie Albers]

I also think it's interesting that we're all framing this question as 
having only the speaker and the user as people affected by the 
behavior.

I know when I am in an audience where one or more people are 
communicating through some electronic means or other, I find the 
traces of that activity -- sounds, light changes, whatever -- to be 
extremely distracting.

The analogy to physical interruption fails because of the reasons 
James outlined -- (1) it's rude for the interrupter to demand 
attention immediately except certain limited cases, and society 
provides a number of ways to interrupt for a moment and words to use 
like "Excuse me" methods to employ such as "Can I talk to you later 
for 5 minutes" and so forth; (2) Person A whose conversation is being 
hijacked is aware of exactly what it is that's so much more important 
to Person B than the first conversation; and (3) sheer volume puts 
the virtual in another league. It's far more distracting to both the 
speaker and the audience to have 20 out of 30 people (for example) 
twittering, blogging, texting and generally dealing with another 
world than it is to have a single interruption (which is why 
responding to physical interruptions is seen as increasingly rude as 
more and more occur in the course of a single interaction).

But I think the really interesting question here is: Why bother? Why 
do we spend time, effort and money to be in the same physical space 
with one another, sharing a particular experience, if we're going to 
spend the vast majority of our time being elsewhere mentally? Judging 
by the reactions to physical meetings on this list, we consider them 
very important. Why?

To be entirely upfront about it, I'm one of those people who turn off 
all their electronic communication devices in meetings, 
presentations, speeches, and movies. I figure if the hospital needs 
me to do that brain transplant right away, they can call the venue 
and have me fetched. On the flip side, when I teach, lecture, speak, 
present or whatever, I ask everyone to turn off their electronic 
communication devices *and* put away their pads and paper. I'm mean 
like that.

Katie

>If during a casual conversation with a friend or colleague a friend
>were to walk by looking to join the conversation or simply ask a
>quick question to me, it would be rude to continue with my original
>conversation ceaselessly, and not acknowledge him or her in anyway.
>
>This could roughly be considered an equivalent scenario as receiving
>an SMS or call during that original conversation from my vantage
>point at least.  But, of course, the differences between the two
>scenarios after that initial point of interuption are where we can
>find the areas worth exploring from a design perspective of how that
>SMS or mobile phone or other more virtual interaction is delivered.
>
>As it is now, all the onus is on myself to negotiate the social
>ramifications of answering an SMS while in conversation.  In the
>"real world" people understand the context I'm in to a degree -
>e.g., somebody at work can see if I'm in a discussion with a client,
>and whether that is a good time to ask me something.

-- 

----------------
Katie Albers
katie at firstthought.com