Gadget overload?

While on my way to work today, a boy of about 8 years old and his mom sat across me in the buss. What I quickly observed was that the moment they sat, the boy's mom handed him a game console to play with. Both had earphones in their ears with loud music coming out of it. They never conversed, nor exchanged even a word the whole entire trip. By the time we got to the city, his mom made a sign that he stuff the game console in her bag which the boy did. He then took out his mobile phone out of his pocket and started playing with it instead. Then while we were waiting for the train, the mom made a quick phone call to someone and told that someone that they were already in the city. The boy asked her who she called but she just totally ignored him and the boy just shrugged and went on playing with his mobile phone. I thought, the way they were to each other was so fascinatingly disturbing. I wonder if they converse like that at home or do they ever converse at all? Just wondering...