Going loopy

I will admit my bias up front here- I don't have a cellphone and hope I never do.  Yes, I realize this puts me at odds with many busy people who rely on their phone to 'stay connected.'  But I think this article makes some interesting points about how the phone can actually disconnect us from  what is happening in the moment.

Everyone reading this has probably experienced attempting a conversation with someone (a teenager, perhaps?) glued to their cellphone, droning "mm, right, I see" only to suddenly look up at you and declare they have no idea what you're talking about.  I think the question is "connected to whom?"  Is it a 'net loss' for the human race to communicate using only consonants and eight-word sentences?