5Across: Smartphone Etiquette, and Our Lack of Civility

Today I read an article on MediaShift that discussed the etiquette of using a smartphone. Basically, the article talks about how people text while walking, check game scores while out on dates, and use their phones as a navigational tool when asking a nearby person would suffice. I think an even deeper question is what has the smartphone done to our nation when it comes to personal contact. Communication can know be done without a sense of emotion being displayed. I think that is an extremely significant disadvantage for all people who use phones. My question to you is..."Are smartphones the death of personality and emotional conveyance?" Sure, I understand that you can still call up a friend or chat with one on a walk. But so many people now rely on their phones, that the inevitable fact remains...smartphones are taking over and people have no sense about when and when not to use them.