Civil Inattention

A social behavior theorized by sociologist Erving Goffman describing how strangers in public spaces acknowledge each other's presence through brief eye contact or a nod, then deliberately look away to respect personal boundaries. Civil inattention is a form of unfocused interaction where people in shared space recognize each other socially without directly engaging. In accessibility contexts, civil inattention can break down when visible assistive technology draws prolonged attention, transitioning an unfocused encounter into a focused one and potentially creating discomfort for the AT user.