Currents April 2020 Apr 2020 Currents web | Page 21

Currents April 2020 > continued from page 20 switch from one task to another, or do two simultane- ously, studies show we actually lose time. Isn’t it coincidental that since the proliferation of cell phones everyone has so many more “emergen- cies?” Any family member, even one that calls four times a day, is now crucial. People can even answer these calls during a movie, ignoring the annoyance to others concentrating on the big screen. We have all been victims of “phubbing” to differ- ent degrees. Which of these situations bother you the most? • The lawyer you pay well uses ten minutes of your scheduled private conference for another client who calls on his cell phone. • A date spends almost half your first meeting on the cell phone. Every call is “an important family member in another state or country." • Someone picks up your call on their car phone without telling you there are three other peo- ple listening. • In a doctor’s waiting room, a horribly loud and discordant ringer jolts everyone. • Someone accepts your call but for the third continued on page 23 > 21