Here’s the situation. You and a friend with an iPhone are discussing a very interesting topic.

“All I’m saying is, if Thatcher and Reagan, two conservative leaders, didn’t come together at that exact point in history, things today would be much, much… oops, hold on, my iPhone’s ringing.”

People with iPhones don’t say their cellphone is ringing. No, no – it’s their iPhone that is ringing.

“Uh oh! My crazy friend tagged me in a photo on Facebook. I’ve got see what he posted. Man the 3G is slow in here.”

To be an iPhone user, you are required to comment on the status of the 3G network at every location you visit.

“HA HA HA!! Look at that crazy guy!  He’s making copies of his butt!”

And now for the ceremonial holding-up-of-the-iPhone-screen-to-the-friend-without-an-iPhone. 

“Quick, what’s a funny comment I can post about it? No wait. I’ve got it!”

For the next five minutes, as your friend struggles with the iPhone’s QWERTY keypad, you could try to remember what the discussion was you were having before. But the efforts will be futile. All you’ll be able to think about is that guy’s butt.

“Ha, ha. I wrote, ‘That’s butt-tastic!’”

Here’s my solution to this type of situation. A simple iPhone App will automatically detect when an interesting, thought-provoking discussion is taking place. When the iPhone user grabs their iPhone during the discussion, the app will send a direct shock to the iPhone user’s brain, jarring their attention back to the face-to-face conversation they are having.

I’m thinking of calling the app “The Conversation Saver.” Or maybe something cute like, “Ring-a-ling-a-ling! Quit playing with your iPhone when you are talking to people.”