2241 Connext

People once thought TV was the great uniter. Bringing people together from various social and cultural arenas with shared experiences. That was true. When there were only three big networks the water cooler conversations were about the same things.

That sense of connectedness was what it was really about. Then came cable and the proliferation of fragmented channels. We all seemed to fall apart. So it's disturbing what a new report from Nielson said.

They reported that, on average, Americans watch just 9%, or 17, of the 189 channels available to them. They also found that in 2013 there was an overall decline in subscriptions to cable, satellite, and other pay-TV options. 

But people still need to feel connected. Where are they getting that feeling? From their devices. Twitter foremost, and Pinterest, Facebook, and Snapchat too, folks are feeling connected through their phones. 

Just watch any person who's really into Twitter, following news and sports and celebrities. It's their constant go-to experience to fill the empty moments. Better yet, they can twit back and go forward and retweet, and really feel like a part of things. And heck, maybe they'll be retweeted too. Take that non-interactive 189-channel cable TV. 

One such compulsive every-moment twitterer I saw recently made me think of a new app. Use the camera on your phone to display a real-time image of what's in front of you so you can walk with your head down and Tweet or text at the same time.

The scary thing? It's already been thought of. "Walk-N-Text" lets you walk and text simultaneously and minimizes pedestrian collisions.

Talk about connection. Forget about endless hours of TV in a darkened living room. Now your phone can become your permanent interface between you and life. 

As a walking couch potato. 

America, ya gotta love it.