A couple nights ago I went to a concert where Rahzel, The Shins, and O.A.R. all performed. It was a great concert in the outdoors.

The one thing which greatly disturbed me was the amount of people on the cell phones. There were a great many people who were with their friends, and on the phone looking for their other friends, and trying to find out what they were doing after the concert, while the concert was going on.

I equated this phenomena with the slow demise of human relationships due to the increased reliance of technology, most importantly the cell phone. I know it sounds like I'm going overboard. There really is no point in going out with a bunch of friends, then spending half your time looking for the other friends or finding out what the other group is doing. Sure, one can do this, but why go to a concert with friends, since both entities require a moderate amount of attention, and instead devote all of your attention to a cell phone texting or calling someone else.

Of course nowadays, most people have accepted this from their friends. And yes, sometimes the phone rings when you're out with other people, and I'm all for the don't answer it policy, or pick it up, see whats going on, and let them know you have someone in your physical presence who you are trying to spend quality time with, and who is not using up all of your minutes. If anyone's phone rings when someone is with me and they choose to carry on with the chit-chat (which I can only assume is chit chat because the part of the conversation I hear is..."Hey!...Not much, just sitting at a cafe with Dr.P...no, but I need to go shopping...You are? We should go sometime!" At the end of about 3 minutes of this, I feel I should note the date when my friend is going out with their other friend so I can call and maybe she will talk to me some more. Instead, I always mention, "If you want, we can end early and you can call your friend back." or if I'm real irritated, "Maybe I should just call you so I can get a chance to talk to you."

I'm glad I own my cell phone and my phone doesn't own me. And the emergence of the Blackberry? Don't even get me started.