Perpetual coordination means that coordination become ‘perpetual’ so dis- tinctions between presence and absence, attention and inattention, socialising and coordinating, partially dissolve. Goffman argued that ‘co-presence renders persons uniquely accessible, available, and subject to one another’ (1963, p. 22), but it seems that many young adults social meetings are now typified by brief moments of ‘inattention’ and ‘mobilities’ as phone calls are answered, text messages are sent, new faces arrive while others leave.