I wrote on article on cell phone abuse, to be published on GigaOM, and was unable to use the following, which I thought was rather insightful:

“When cell phones were first introduced, they were expensive and obtrusive,” says Dr. Lisa Merlo, professor of psychology at the University of Florida. “As a result, the people who had them and used them did so for ‘important’ reasons. For example, physicians might have a cell phone while on-call. So, people excused the rudeness associated with talking on a cell phone because there was a legitimate reason for doing so. However, cell phones have become ubiquitous, and the rules have not changed to accommodate this.”

Merlo went on to say, “Many smart phone users seem to have a hard time distinguishing between appropriate and inappropriate use of the phone and feel that it would be rude not to answer a call. To not answer the call is anxiety-provoking for them.”

I feel sorry for anyone who is unable to screen a call, email, or text message. I do it all the time. It’s great.

See also: 5 things I wish my BlackBerry could do