A Clear and Present Danger

Well maybe the title is a bit overblown.

Hot on the heels of the study that claims Spongebob Squarepants causes attention deficit disorder in youngsters, I encountered a service booth (to remain un-named because the people cannot be blamed for the distractions in their hands) where I experienced the ultimate "connected" moment.

Now, if the purpose behind wireless, small form factors, and mobile access here, there, everywhere, all the time..., is to make us more connected, then indeed there is a problem.

I arrived at the un-named booth earlier this morning. Glorious sunny day. No fog or smoke or smog that would account for reducued visibility. Students milling about on way to classes, study rooms... I approached the table. Smiled. Shuffled. Thought about saying "hello, may I disturb you?" but the experimentalist in me decided to remain relatively quiet. 18 seconds for one of the people to look up from their xPhone.

I was amused, not in any way upset.

Their attention focus was so complete that I could have jumped up and down and taken all of their pamphlets.

Maybe this is a good thing, the opposite of ADD. My kids can play a game on their Leapster or DSi and unless the battery fails, could ignore an earthquake. Do these devices increase concentration power? Could this ability be put to better use than feeding a virtual cat?

I leave this for your consideration.