When Gretchen Baxter gets home from work as a New York City book editor, she checks her Blackberry at the door. 'I think we are attached to these devices in a way that is not always positive,' says Baxter,who'd rather focus at home on her husband and 12-year-old daughter. 'It's there and it beckons . That's human nature (but)...we kind of get crazy sometimes and we don't know where it should stop.' 

Americans are connected at unprecedented levels93% now use cell phones or wireless devices;one third of those are 'smart phones' that allow users to browse the Web and check e-mail,among other things. The benefits are obvious: checking messages on the road,staying in touch with friends and family,efficiently using time once spent waiting around. The downside:often,we're effectively disconnecting from those in the same room. 

That's why,despite all the technology that makes communicating easier than ever,2010 was the Year We Stopped Talking to One Another. From texting at dinner to posting on Facebook from work or checking e-mail while on a date,the connectivity revolution is creating a lot of divided attention,not to mention social anxiety. Many analysts say it's time to step back and reassess. 

'What we're going to see in the future is new opportunities for people to be plugged in and connected like never before,' says Scott Campbell. 'It can be a good thing,but I also see new ways the traditional social fabric is getting somewhat torn apart.' 

Our days are filled with beeps and pings*----many of which pull us away from tasks at hand or face-to-face conversations. We may feel that the distractions are too much,but we can't seem to stop posting,texting or surfing. 

'We're going through a period of adjustment and rebalancing,' says Sherry Turkle and she wants to remind people that technology can be turned off. 

'Our human purposes are to really have connections with people,' she says. 'We have to reclaim it. It's not going to take place by itself.' QUESTIONS:

Q1:
1. What is Gretchen Baxter's place of employment?
2. Where is Gretchen Baxter employed?
3. 
Q2:
1. What does Gretchen Baxter do for a living?
2. What is Gretchen Baxter's job?
3. 
Q3:
1. Does Gretchen Baxter have an iPhone?
2. Is Gretchen Baxter's smartphone from the iPhone family?
3. 
Q4:
1. What brand of phone does Gretchen Baxter possess?
2. What kind of phone does Gretchen Baxter have?
3. 
Q5:
1. Does Gretchen Baxter use her BlackBerry at home?
2. Does Gretchen Baxter get on her BlackBerry in her own house?
3. 
Q6:
1. What does Gretchen Baxter focus on at home instead of her BlackBerry?
2. What's more important to Gretchen Baxter while at home than her BlackBerry?
3. 
Q7:
1. What percentage of Americans use cell phones?
2. How many Americans are cell phone users?
3. 
Q8:
1. What ratio of Americans use smartphones?
2. How many cell phones in the US are smartphones?
3. 
Q9:
1. Does being connected have its disadvantages?
2. Can there be issues that come with having a smartphone?
3. 
Q10:
1. Does having a smartphone affect face to face conversations?
2. Does our smartphone use have consequences for our in person communication?
3. 
Q11:
1. How is face to face conversation affected by smartphone use?
2. What is the effect that smartphones have on in person communication?
3. 
