The first time I saw the “Laptop Effect” was in 2002. Today, this syndrome is not quite so aptly named because of the preponderance of personal communication devices people have at their disposal.
The Laptop Effect as defined by Simon’s Dictionary means: “(noun) The use of personal electronic devices to avoid paying attention during business meetings.” This definition came about when the laptop was the sole device available to tap away at while pretending to listen to a speaker. In 2018, the definition has expanded to include smart phones, iPads or any other hand-held communication tool that you can bring to a meeting or presentation to help you avoid listening to a speaker and/or stop you from paying attention to what is going on around you.
It astounded me the first time I saw three vice presidents tapping away religiously during a regional project meeting while their fourth brethren spoke like he cared about something. I marveled at their audacity to look at the screen, not the speaker. That first time, I was a rookie where I worked. I did not know the culture. I had never seen anybody act that way before.
Today, if you’ve been to more than one business meeting in your life, you probably can’t say you’ve been to a meeting where someone wasn’t tapping away at their phone or laptop while someone else was trying to make a point. It’s become the norm rather than the aberration. More people don’t pay attention than do pay attention.
I’m not sure what that says about our society. We’re distracted, that’s for sure. But the Laptop Effect is now so pervasive and insidious that I think its stranglehold on our minds and attitudes go much deeper. If you are a presenter, you almost EXPECT a number of the people in the room NOT to pay attention, or at least at some point while you’re talking, phones will be brought out, examined and tapped, and if you’re fortunate, put away until you conclude.
In the REALLY OLD days, you had to rely on your imagination or daydream to avoid listening. I can remember one innovative thinker bringing his fingernail clippers to a large organizational meeting of all our regional offices back in 1997. He sat right there in the middle front section of the auditorium, clipping away like there was no tomorrow, oblivious to others watching him and thinking to themselves, “WTF?” It amazes me to this day that the lead speaker didn’t call Fingernail Clipper Man out.
The Laptop Effect also stops you from even pretending to pay attention. The fake head nod, the smile, asking what an acronym means, laughing at bad jokes or even suggesting the speaker repeat the last sentence because you didn’t capture it the first time are all tried and true methods to show fake attention. But they take work and creativity.
The Laptop Effect lets you bury your head. Not only are you perusing material not on the agenda (Oh wait, did you say that you’re following along the outline electronically? “Please, spare me the lie.”), but the laptopper or phone tapper is engaging with someone else. He’s not engaged in the meeting.
Next time you go to a meeting, look the speaker in the eye. You’ll find s/he pays attention to you because so many other people are buried in their electronic devices. It’s the new way to get all those extra duties thrown your way: PAY ATTENTION.
And maybe that’s why the Laptop Effect has taken over. Everyone’s trying to get out of additional duties because they’re so dang busy handling all their tasks on their electronic devices.
The Laptop Effect as defined by Simon’s Dictionary means: “(noun) The use of personal electronic devices to avoid paying attention during business meetings.” This definition came about when the laptop was the sole device available to tap away at while pretending to listen to a speaker. In 2018, the definition has expanded to include smart phones, iPads or any other hand-held communication tool that you can bring to a meeting or presentation to help you avoid listening to a speaker and/or stop you from paying attention to what is going on around you.
It astounded me the first time I saw three vice presidents tapping away religiously during a regional project meeting while their fourth brethren spoke like he cared about something. I marveled at their audacity to look at the screen, not the speaker. That first time, I was a rookie where I worked. I did not know the culture. I had never seen anybody act that way before.
Today, if you’ve been to more than one business meeting in your life, you probably can’t say you’ve been to a meeting where someone wasn’t tapping away at their phone or laptop while someone else was trying to make a point. It’s become the norm rather than the aberration. More people don’t pay attention than do pay attention.
I’m not sure what that says about our society. We’re distracted, that’s for sure. But the Laptop Effect is now so pervasive and insidious that I think its stranglehold on our minds and attitudes go much deeper. If you are a presenter, you almost EXPECT a number of the people in the room NOT to pay attention, or at least at some point while you’re talking, phones will be brought out, examined and tapped, and if you’re fortunate, put away until you conclude.
In the REALLY OLD days, you had to rely on your imagination or daydream to avoid listening. I can remember one innovative thinker bringing his fingernail clippers to a large organizational meeting of all our regional offices back in 1997. He sat right there in the middle front section of the auditorium, clipping away like there was no tomorrow, oblivious to others watching him and thinking to themselves, “WTF?” It amazes me to this day that the lead speaker didn’t call Fingernail Clipper Man out.
The Laptop Effect also stops you from even pretending to pay attention. The fake head nod, the smile, asking what an acronym means, laughing at bad jokes or even suggesting the speaker repeat the last sentence because you didn’t capture it the first time are all tried and true methods to show fake attention. But they take work and creativity.
The Laptop Effect lets you bury your head. Not only are you perusing material not on the agenda (Oh wait, did you say that you’re following along the outline electronically? “Please, spare me the lie.”), but the laptopper or phone tapper is engaging with someone else. He’s not engaged in the meeting.
Next time you go to a meeting, look the speaker in the eye. You’ll find s/he pays attention to you because so many other people are buried in their electronic devices. It’s the new way to get all those extra duties thrown your way: PAY ATTENTION.
And maybe that’s why the Laptop Effect has taken over. Everyone’s trying to get out of additional duties because they’re so dang busy handling all their tasks on their electronic devices.