Re Zoning out - specifically -- protect yourself. In a new situation with new people, give it all your attention for 10 or 15 minutes or whatever and then say you have to leave and hope that you can meet again soon. Gradually you'll stretch it out as you feel comfortable. It's pretty easy to zone out if you are bored. It does sound like you might be a teenager. At the risk of making this sound like some awful teenage YahooAnswers answer
It might be interesting to ask yourself this: What do I want to be like? What kind of person do I want to be? Do I need to be more social for my career? How can I make an impact? How can I bring more goodness to the world? What makes my life meaningful? How can I be a good partner, family member, citizen? Then continue to move in that direction.