Because so many people in their teens and early 20s are in this constant whir of socializing--accessible to each other every minute of the day via cellphone, instant messaging and social-networking Web sites -- there are a host of new questions that need to be addressed in schools, in the workplace and at home. Chief among them: How much work can 'hyper-socializing' students or employees really accomplish if they are holding multiple conversations with friends via text-messaging, or are obsessively checking Facebook?

　　很多十几岁、二十出头的人就像这样一刻不停地进行着社交活动。他们无时无刻不在通过手机、即时通信和社交网站相互联络。这个人群之庞大，让学校、工作单位和家庭面临着一大堆新问题需要应对。而其中首要的问题是：如果都在通过短信跟不止一位朋友交谈，或者是止不住地查看Facebook，那么这种“高度社交”的学生或雇员到底能够完成多少课业或工作？

　　Some argue they can accomplish a great deal: This generation has a gift for multitasking, and because they've integrated technology into their lives, their ability to remain connected to each other will serve them and their employers well. Others contend that these hyper-socializers are serial time-wasters, that the bonds between them are shallow, and that their face-to-face interpersonal skills are poor.

　　一些人认为，他们可以完成大量工作：这一代人天生就会同时处理多重任务，而且由于他们把科技融入到了生活之中，他们相互之间保持联络的能力将会给自己和雇主带来很大帮助。另一些人则认为，高度社交的人群浪费着大量时间，他们相互之间的关系很淡薄，而面对面的人际交往能力也很弱。

　　It's hard to quantify whether the abbreviated interchanges of text messaging are beneficial in the workplace, but this much is known: Young workers spend more time than older workers socializing via their devices or entertaining themselves online. In a 2008 survey for Salary.com, 53% of those under age 24 said this was their primary 'time wasting' activity while at work, compared to just 34% for those between ages 41 and 65.

　　这种简短的文字信息交流是否有益于工作，这很难量化，但有一点是可以确定的：年轻员工通过手机进行社交或在网上娱乐的时间比年长的劳动者更多。2008年为Salary.com进行的一项调查中，24岁以下的人群有53%表示这是他们消磨时间的主要活动，而41到65岁的人群中，这一比例仅为34%。