Too much gear for collaboration, social networking and communication tools is making people ruder, according to a new survey from some ginks working for a “social email provider” harmon.ie.

The study found that during face-to-face meetings, 41 per cent of UK workers remain glued to their communication devices, sending instant messages, responding to texts, listening to voicemails or checking their emails. This figure rises to a staggering 70 percent during virtual meetings and webcasts.

Only a third even admit to disrupting face-to-face meetings to answer their mobile phones even when 40 per cent agree it is rude, One in three workers aged 20-39 will take a mobile phone call while in a meeting, compared to one in five of us older types over 40.Only ten percent of those over 60 would dream of it. Nineteen percent of respondents tell their superiors to sod off and stay connected when they’ve been told to explicitly disconnect.

David Lavenda, Vice President of Product Strategy at harmon.ie said people had double standards in the workplace, with 82 per cent complaining about other peoples’ tendencies to disrupt proceedings by answering a mobile phone, tweeting, sending an instant message, responding to emails or even just updating their social status.  More than 70 per cent of those that rudely interrupt meetings themselves would be offended if someone did the same thing to them. Clearly, the perceived pressure to stay connected has led many people to neglect their manners.”

Could it be that the rest of the human race are just self absorbed tossers who only think about their own short term satisfaction? Or is that just me being rude again?