Is it correct to look at Apple Watch notifications during a conversation?

Question.

During a business meeting, I receive notifications on my Apple Watch and unconsciously look at the screen. Can I show disrespect for my interlocutor by doing so? For example, he'll think I'm looking forward to our meeting being over. What should I do?

Answer.

On the one hand, our society is now reconsidering any communication, and people are moving towards multitasking. And the same Apple Watch helps to conduct short communication without seriously compromising the main dialog, for example, by responding to messages with short phrases such as "Yes", "No", "I'll answer later". On the other hand, not everyone is aware of the properties of smartwatches, and periodic glancing at the screen can really be interpreted as a sign that you are in a hurry.

During a business meeting, business etiquette comes to the fore. You're likely to be dealing with important issues, so staying focused on the present moment is important. Pop-ups can both distract you and really make your interlocutor nervous. It is impossible to say for sure how this will affect the outcome of the meeting. Perhaps your interlocutor is also an active user of such devices, and he will understand your behavior. Or perhaps they will consider it disrespectful.

We must learn to "filter" the flow of messages that comes to us. And also quickly decide what is an urgent issue and what can be postponed.
Another possible solution is to openly discuss the moment with the other person. Let them know that you are waiting for an important message, the timing of which does not depend on you, so you will be periodically distracted by notifications. In this case, the person will understand why you are distracted. But this won't protect you from the fact that your behavior will seem inappropriate. It's hard to find a universal recipe here, so it's better to follow generally accepted business etiquette.

In general, turning off notifications is a useful thing in many ways. We must learn to "filter" the flow of messages that comes to us. And also quickly decide what is an urgent issue and what can be postponed. You cannot and should not react to every impulse from the outside. Otherwise, it can lead to exhaustion of the nervous system and inability to focus on a specific task.