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38% of you will be distracted midway through a conversation by technology at least once today

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By Ishbel Macleod, PR and social media consultant

March 20, 2014 | 2 min read

Ever tweeted while out with friends at dinner? Texted while at the cinema? This, new research states, is an Electronic Display of Insensitivity (EDI), and 87 per cent agree that there has been an increase over the past year.

The new study by Joseph Grenny, author of the New York Times bestseller Crucial Conversations, found that of the over 2,000 people he surveyed, a quarter said that an EDI has led to a "serious rift" with a friend or family member.

It was discovered that 33 per cent of the public are interrupted daily because of another person’s use of technology, such as talking on the phone or listening to loud music.

On top of this, 38 per cent said someone else’s use of technology distracted them from paying attention to the respondent daily, while 10 per cent said it happened two to three times a day, and seven per cent said it happened even more regularly.

Grenny believes victims of EDIs who say nothing give their silent approval of insensitive and bad behavior. “Technology allows us to quickly and effectively communicate with a large network of friends and acquaintances we would not have access to otherwise. “However, these benefits should not trump social norms of respect, courtesy and politeness, especially with those we care about. It’s time we learned to speak up and confront electronic displays of insensitivity so that civility and technology can peacefully coexist,” he said.
Over nine tenths (93 per cent) of those surveyed have seen people interacting with their phones while driving a car, while 90 per cent have been seen to check their phone at a restaurant, and 90 per cent when at a gathering such as a party or an outing with friends. Most of the time, an EDI is ignored by the public, with 32 per cent saying this is how they would treat such an occurrence, while 18 per cent would give the culprit a dirty look and 27 per cent would talk to them in a way that gets them to stop without causing offense.
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