if you’ve noticed, older generations tend to think millennials are rude for being on their phones, but millennials sometimes find it rude when someone interrupts them when they’re on their phone
I don’t have a problem with people trying to talk to me when I’m on my phone necessarily, but when they act like I owe them my time more than whatever I’m doing on my phone, or like I’m rude when I was already busy, I have a serious problem with that. (ftr I’m not talking about people checking Facebook rather than interacting with who they’re having dinner with, so don’t pretend I am.)
I think part of the issue arises because older generations are used to a very small concept of the world, whereas millennials, who grew up in a digital revolution, are used to having practically the entire world community at their fingertips.
I mean, if you think about it, once older generations left the house, the only things connecting them to the world around them was other people and non-interactive media such as newspapers, books, magazines, etc..
older generations are used to the idea that the Internet is full of anonymous strangers, closer to NPCs in video games rather than actual people on the other side of the connection.
so the world for them is basically who’s in the room. whereas for millennials, they have entire social networks at their fingertips. they work on the go. they get things done their phones. their friends and work connections are always with them, in a sense.
older generations find it rude when millennials don’t drop everything to talk to them, but millennials often find it rude that it’s demanded that they give up their time to someone who feels entitled to it for no reason other than the fact that they walked into the room.