I Always Keep My Phone Face Down on the Table. Here's Why

Jason Chun is a CNET writer covering a range of topics in tech, home, wellness, finance and streaming services. He is passionate about language and technology, and has been an avid writer/reader of science fiction for most of his life. He holds a BA from UC Santa Barbara and an MFA from The New School.

We often look at our phones all day long. But how often do we pay that much attention to our friends and family? 

Smartphones have changed how we interact with friends and they can be helpful tools when planning the next hangout. But have you ever gone out to dinner with friends, only for the conversation to pause, or stop entirely, as everyone picks up their phone to check their notifications? It ...