I will venture a defense for the teenager who came over and listened to her mp3 player. I remember reading that in Japanese culture (specifically in the first

I will venture a defense for the teenager who came over and listened to her mp3 player. I remember reading that in Japanese culture (specifically in the first half of the 20th century; don't know if it is currently true) close family members might visit each other and, if they had nothing substantive to talk about, simply sit in silence together and count the time as well-spent. I certainly understand that someone might feel the need for human proximity without needing to exchange information. Isn't the teenager's behavior quite opposite of the typical modern tendency, which is to obsessively exchange trivial information without any physical togetherness?