Videophones suck and fiction proves it!

July 26, 2011 5:36 PM

I'm trying to find a science fiction story that involves a future where people realize that they don't like people being able to see them when they're on the videophone, so they start wearing masks that hide their facial expressions while they're on the phone. Unfortunately, I can't recall the author or even whether it was a novel or just a short story. My Google-Fu is failing me; do you have any idea what story I'm thinking of?
posted by asnider to writing & language (4 answers total)

Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace has a whole anecdote on just this
posted by aidanwhiteley at 5:38 PM on July 26, 2011

And we've resolved it! Thanks, aidanwhiteley.
posted by asnider at 5:41 PM on July 26, 2011

There's a JG Ballard story with this exact premise as well, which I think predates Infinite Jest.
posted by nicolas léonard sadi carnot at 12:10 AM on July 27, 2011

Infinite Jest is the one I was thinking of, but I'd be interested in reading the Ballard story. Do you know the title?
posted by asnider at 9:54 AM on July 27, 2011