Well I grew up with the birth of the internet. Anyone here remember 14.4 modems & bbc chat rooms?...I don't think conversation is lost just yet, but it is moving in that direction. I am a chef at at a fine dining restaurant which has an open kitchen. So, I watch people come to a place which some time ago was used as a meeting place for good food & good conversation. Now, half the people that come into restaurants (especially the children) immediately pull out their phones & stare at them & play with them or set them next to the silverware like it's a part of the dining experience.
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That or they just bring their portfolios & pitch their business to whoever their trying to schmooze by bringing them to a fancy restaurant with their expense accounts.