Infographic: Americans’ guide to mobile etiquette

You’ve seen it: A group of people hanging out at a restaurant or social event—a get-together in which they clearly planned to meet—and everyone has their head down, looking at their phones. They’re not talking to each other.

It’s not just teenagers—adults are guilty of it, too.

A photographer recently shot a series of photos in which he asked couples and families to pose with their mobile devices, and then omitted the phones and tablets from the shots. The resulting images are haunting.

We’re all guilty of scanning Facebook, sending texts or browsing the Web on our phones when we’re commuting, waiting in line or simply have a few minutes to spare. Have we taken the habit too far, though? What is proper mobile device etiquette, anyway?

Using a poll from the Pew Research Center, Column Five explores this topic in an infographic.