Why do so many people wear things in their ears at all times these days? It’s not just the kids with their crazy iPods, it’s not just the urban hipsters, but everyone, khakis-wearing middle managers included. Phone headsets discretely tucked into the ear, headphones with cables dangling, they all point to something else drawing their attention, a visual marker of their importance, of the need to be reached, of the lack of importance of the world physically around them at that very moment.

Is there something larger to note about how we create bubbles for ourselves to live in, and a longer-term impact still to come on social interaction and expectations of social multi-tasking?