Alone in the crowd because I want it that way

This series of photos over at the Behance Network are beautiful and tell a story about our modern lives - at least in the wealthy First World.

I wonder what the real story is though.

Perhaps it is that people "need" tools to protect themselves from the crowd.  In the early 20th Century, it was the cigarette that created that elusive forcefield of protected space around a person's body.  Now it's our phone.

It's like a security blanket now isn't it?  It feels safe because we don't have to look into another person's eyes and see what we think we can see there.

It's like a silent statement of "Do Not Look At Me!"  It's like adopting a non-threatening and passive aggressive stance when one feels cornered and in fear.

I'm not sure it's actually like that for everyone, but I know for me, I use my smartphone as a replacement for the book I used to use for the same reason... to "lose myself" in the crowd.