In today’s world of ever advancing technology we are more connected with our peers than ever.
Through texting, constant access to the Internet and social media, we are never more than a “slide to unlock” away from any knowledge we so desire. Even in social settings where our friends are sitting next to us we seem unable to put down our phones. I am just as guilty, if not more so, than the next person.
However, is this constant connectivity a beneficial or malicious thing? I know when I travel abroad and am without the use of my phone, it is somewhat unsettling.
When I came within range of wi-fi, all my friends and I would whip out our phones and start talking to people back home. When I don’t have the use of my phone, I feel like I am cut off from the world.
When I hang out at my friend’s house, it is not uncommon for the four of us to be sitting on the couches, each with our phone out. Sometimes we are “GroupMe”ing each other, while other times we are texting friends who aren’t there.
There is a running joke in our group that we come to our friend’s house so we can text each other. Sure, this may stunt a little conversation, but is that really such a big a deal?
According to scientificamerican.com, just the mere presence of a phone can be detrimental to interpersonal relationships. The study it covered, which was conducted by Andrew Przybylski and Netta Weinstein of the University of Essex, claims just having a phone nearby without even checking it can be harmful to your relationships. But can this really be true?
While this may be accurate in some cases, I don’t believe the majority of the population is so inclined to lose the quality of their relationships from having a phone in their pockets.
As a general statement, I believe this generation, more than any other, has come to be the ultimate multi-taskers.
An argument I have heard from English teachers, parents and grandparents is that texting is breaking down this generation’s written language skills.
From my experience, I have found the opposite to be the case. Aside from my parents, I don’t know anyone who uses texting lingo, such as “hey, wut r u up 2?”
If anything, my texts are just as grammatically accurate as my research papers I turn in to my professors. Also, if you are struggling with your spelling, autocorrect can be one heck of a spelling teacher.
One of my friends had the opportunity to study abroad this past summer.
While she was out of the country, she found the absence of her smart phone rather liberating. According to her, she now uses her phone much less than before. She realized how dependent we have become on having access to our phones at all times.
On multiple occasions, my friends and I have been eating at a restaurant and we all have our phones out.  Farrah will look around at us and then attack. She steals all of our phones and holds on to them for a few hours.
By now, we have gotten used to these occasional thefts and have even come to expect them. There are times where I agree with my friend that we might not be having as stimulating a conversation as we could be. However, I think more often than not we are keeping up the same level of communication as there would be without the phones present.
I use my phone for more than just staying connected to my friends, though. Increasingly I find myself using my phone to stay informed of the world. One of the most frequently opened folders on my iPhone is the one containing all my news applications.
Besides avidly following the news, I am also a very curious person. One of my biggest pet peeves is having someone pose a question and then not being able to answer it. I’m the type of person who will immediately look up an answer I don’t know. Some people have told me they find it annoying. I, on the other hand, feel the exact opposite.
Granted, some of the things I look up are completely irrelevant and I will probably never need to know them again. However, enough of the information I Google has some significance to my life so that I feel like I am expanding my knowledge.
If you were to ask me, I would say the introduction of phones into our lives has not harmed our relationships or communication skills. In fact, I believe just the opposite has occurred.
Not only have these gadgets become useful devices for staying in touch, they have become vital tools in our everyday lives. Whether you are using your phone to run a business or are attempting to use your phone as a GPS, there are many situations where I would find myself completely lost without my iPhone in my hand.
Now, I’m definitely not saying you should always be on your cell phone.
There is certainly a time and place for it. But I believe today’s society has become increasingly stringent on when and where we can use our cell phones.
Just as the technology has changed to allow instant access to the Internet, so must society’s acceptance of the use of cell phones.