It may seem obvious (apparently unless you’re a millennial), but people who take out their smart phones during a meeting are irritating their bosses and colleagues, according to a recent survey. (Full disclosure: I’ve been guilty of this habit.)

Researchers from USC’s Marshall School of Business asked this question of 554 full-time “working professionals” (defined as earning above $30,000 and and working in companies with at least 50 employees) around the country. They found overwhelming dislike of the smart phone habit during meetings, as Dr. Travis Bradberry summarized on a recent LinkedIn post:

• 86% think it’s inappropriate to answer phone calls during meetings
• 84% think it’s inappropriate to write texts or emails during meetings
• 66% think it’s inappropriate to write texts or emails even during lunches offsite
• The more money people make the less they approve of smartphone use.

• For most people, smart phone use by a colleague shows a lack of respect, attentiveness, and self-awareness among the users.

  But the survey revealed an interesting gender and generational breakdown: while women and people over forty are the most bothered, millennials are three times more likely than those over 40 to think that smartphone use during meetings is okay.

  You could probably extrapolate these findings to any setting, not just in the workplace. After all, it’s hard to feel special when the person or people you’re with would prefer to check their phones than relate to you.

  But at the same time, the culture is clearly changing. For younger people who have grown up with these devices, they apparently don’t take as much umbrage at their usage by the people with them.

  Maybe that’s a good thing. Or maybe it’s just a necessary cultural adaptation, as these addictive devices continue their relentless conquest of our attention spans and daily habits.