I was people watching today at the airport, and subsequently observing behavior on the plane.

I’ve long known that cell phones and similar electronic devices have lead to the downfall of many things. Common courtesy. Polite conversation. Etc.

Most alarming and potentially dangerous is a lack of situational awareness.

Having worked in a military environment, situational awareness is something drilled home regularly.

Having ones face down, engaged with a device, removes most or all of your situational awareness.

Originally, we all saw the videos of people running into walls or falling into fountains while they stared at handheld devices. I am sure this still happens – so much so, it isn’t posted as much on social media.

More nebulous is the self centeredness that happens when the majority of your interaction is with a screen.

More times than I can count daily I hear people talking in their outside voices inside small spaces. As a genetic loud talker, I understand this phenomena and try to avoid it.

Now I can’t go out in public without having to hear intimate conversations. Nice restaurants used to be a place of hushed talk and soft music. Now one loud talker at a table ruins it for others around.

Worse, others feel the need to overtake the loud talker, until the entire restaurant reaches dangerously high decibels. Don’t believe me? Download a decibel reader and put it on your table, and count the number of times the frequency you are hearing is in the danger zone.

On airplanes, most people want to rest or read. Inevitably, there will be the unaware passenger (s) talking extra loud, necessitating headphone devices for every flight, if you want any peace. Not for one minute do these loud talkers consider those around them.

Online, you can type your response as you are reading the one typing currently. In real life, there is a lot of over talking. Where once one would politely wait for the other to finish speaking, now new conversations are started before the speaker can finish a thought.

Those are just a couple polite society issues!

Safety is a whole other matter. In new environs, or while walking alone in darkening hours, it would behoove us to look at our surroundings, identifying hazards – potential or actual.

Instead, heads are bowed as people move forward, and any real or potential danger goes unseen.

It’s the perfect hunting ground for predators.

All avoidable, with just a flick of a hand to shut off a device and put it away.