Gadgets Causing 'Epidemic of Shyness'

Psychologist, Harvard Business School researcher and etiquette columnist Robin Abrahams said in a recent interview that cell phones, iPods and PCs are casing a WORLDWIDE EPIDEMIC OF SHYNESS. She said nearly 50% of people say they're shy in social situations, up from about 40% "in the past." "People shop online, they listen to their iPods rather than the radio -- and they e-mail or text each other rather than talk. What we have is an increasingly complex social environment, combined with less practice at dealing with it because of technology."