Talking to no-one

Of course as you grow older, you have to accept that there is a whole new generation who've arrived on this earth who are young and with-it, while you've become an old fuddy-duddy, grumbling in the background. On Sunday night, I had a quiet dinner in a chinese restaurant, and couldn't help noticing seven young people sitting around a circular table, none of whom were talking to each other. Three were absorbed in their Blackberry's, two were on the phone, and one (I could see the screen clearly) was playing a football game. The remaining person, an attractive young lady, sat staring into space. What has happened to the art of conversation, the pleasure of enjoying a good meal? If I owned a restaurant, I would ban Blackberry's and mobile phones...and I suppose I'd be empty.