Face-to-face talk is losing its status

Now that we are firmly entrenched in this electronic age of instant communications there seem to be new rules regarding manners. No longer is a person being interrupted during a conversation responsible for evaluating the validity of the cause for interruption, and for deeming the cause worthy or not of needing to be addressed, instantly.

It's clear the responsibility for accepting being placed on "hold" while an instant message, e-mail or call is being addressed is now on the person not being interrupted. One is supposed to sit, or stand, quietly and wait until the "interuptee" gets back to him or her. The party sending the electronic message is now more important than the face-to-face party to the original conversation.

I'm beginning to realize not so much as a "pardon me while I answer this" is required from the person being interrupted. One must accept that the person interrupting is more important and attention to the person interrupting must be addressed immediately.

I don't like it. I choose not to address interruptions in favor of maintaining focus on the conversation at hand. I think it extremely rude to do otherwise, given certain exceptions such as awaiting an important communique. In that case a precursor to the conversation might me, "Please be aware I'm expecting an important call, we may be interrupted," or, during a conversation, "Excuse me, this is an important communication I've been waiting for, I need to address it."

Clearly the onus should be on the person being interrupted to address the situation in as polite a fashion as possible. To do otherwise is rude.

Gary Carmichael

Des Plaines