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<blockquote data-quote="Umbran" data-source="post: 7697663" data-attributes="member: 177">There are two cases:&nbsp; 1) the game itself is not engaging to the player.&nbsp; In this case, you are correct, the electronics are not the cause of the issue, and the player's mind will wander and they'll disengage and flip through a rulebook, or even just sit and stare off into space if the electronics are not present.2) The electronics are an &quot;attractive nuisance&quot;.&nbsp; Humans are what they are - and modern electronics, and the applications upon them, are built to take advantage of human foibles and short-term reward systems, and modern electronics do this better than anything else in history, and better than any GM I have ever met.&nbsp; Much as we like to claim otherwise, we really aren't all that different from the rat who finds they get a snack-reward when they push a button.&nbsp; Those who are apt to fall prey to such stimuli can be distracted by electronics, where they'd pay attention and engage with the game if those electronics are not present.Both of these things happen.&nbsp; To solve a particular problem of &quot;player playign with their phone, and not the game&quot;, you must know which it is.&nbsp; The simplest way is to remove the electronics, and then see if the player or players are *still* disengaged.&nbsp; My wife is allergic to strawberries.&nbsp; I don't *blame* the strawberries for this.&nbsp; Nor do I *blame* my wife.&nbsp; But, regardless, the berries don't appear at my table, as the interaction is undesired.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Umbran, post: 7697663, member: 177"] There are two cases: 1) the game itself is not engaging to the player. In this case, you are correct, the electronics are not the cause of the issue, and the player's mind will wander and they'll disengage and flip through a rulebook, or even just sit and stare off into space if the electronics are not present. 2) The electronics are an "attractive nuisance". Humans are what they are - and modern electronics, and the applications upon them, are built to take advantage of human foibles and short-term reward systems, and modern electronics do this better than anything else in history, and better than any GM I have ever met. Much as we like to claim otherwise, we really aren't all that different from the rat who finds they get a snack-reward when they push a button. Those who are apt to fall prey to such stimuli can be distracted by electronics, where they'd pay attention and engage with the game if those electronics are not present. Both of these things happen. To solve a particular problem of "player playign with their phone, and not the game", you must know which it is. The simplest way is to remove the electronics, and then see if the player or players are *still* disengaged. My wife is allergic to strawberries. I don't *blame* the strawberries for this. Nor do I *blame* my wife. But, regardless, the berries don't appear at my table, as the interaction is undesired. [/QUOTE]

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