Everyone wants to stay up-to-date with each other, hence why social networks are so popular. But as they become more popular in the mobile world, at what cost do they have in the real world. The picture below and article from the New York Times put things into perspective.
The bottom line: People will always be distracted by something. Whether it is cell phones, iPods, or a new advertisement on the street; people are easily distracted. The best way to deal with it is to reinforce good habits, but my guess is that there will always be a new device that will be taking attention away from where it should be directed.