Haha, how far has society fallen that not being distracted by something is considered out-of-the-ordinary respectful?

I agree with you, I think I'd feel the same about a lull, unless they attempt to re-initiate the conversation after a bit. But I also assume people could be expecting an important message or are contractually obligated to be aware of their messages, so I feel they should go ahead and check during a pause (but maybe announce why).