younger relatives don't do conversation

Yes, I'm afraid that there is a tendency for people to be immersed in their own, private social media-based worlds, to the exclusion of what used to commonly be referred to as "normal conversation". I recently went out for a pub lunch with my OH, and was rather saddened by the sight of a family of 5 on an adjacent table, Mum, Dad and three children aged around 10 to early teens, each head down into their own smart phones, totally oblivious of each other. They may as well have been on different planets. This type of sight is becoming increasingly common, and does make me worry about the wider implications not just for family cohesion, but for society at large. Yes, there are positives to what the internet can provide, but are these being outweighed by the negatives? Perhaps.

this is awful, I would have left, I think. We often see young people who have 'taken out' mum or granma for lunch, and then stay on their phone throughout the meal. So so sad- I have come so close a few times to saying something- but zipped it.

Or music on loud.