Dr. Bryant Simon of Temple University has been observing Starbucks and its impact on society for a long time.

The small and widely spaced tables, free wireless internet access and a preference for take-away customers are among the conversation-killing factors that have encouraged patrons to cut themselves off, Bryant Simon claimed.

Prof Simon visited 425 Starbucks branches in nine countries, including Britain, over a year and talked to customers. He said he witnessed few spontaneous discussions or interactions. He said the rise of Starbucks and its rivals was a far cry from the British coffee houses of the 18th and 19th centuries “which were the cornerstone of democracy with a small ‘d’”.

Yet more evidence that the United States led globalized culture values the commodity more than the experience. I’d be interested to check out Simon’s book, Everything but the Coffee: Learning About America from Starbucks.

I’ll always remember one day at a past job when driving with a group of co-workers… we passed a Starbucks and everyone freaked out so we had to stop. And then it hit me, a lot of people freak out like that when they pass a Starbucks. Wow…